Salt and Sugar
by koalachii
Summary: Although having grown up together, Sarada Uchiha and Boruto Uzumaki absolutely despise each other. She thinks he's cocky and shallow, and he thinks she's presumptuous and unlikable. But, being forced onto the student council together might change their minds, and they'll find themselves falling in love, while everything else is falling apart. BoruSara, slow burn High School AU
1. I: Sarada Uchiha

**A/N:** Welcome everyone! Thank you for taking the time to be here today, as I put much love and effort into my fics as I possibly can. If you love BoruSara as much as I do (and a classic enemies to lovers story) please enjoy and leave a review! (: if there are any questions, please let me know! ty ily all (:

**Warning:** This fic will be rated T+, until later chapters it will turn to M. Will contain OC's, multiple pairings throughout, but will somehow always end back at BoruSara, so no need to fear! Also swearing, use of drugs and alcohol, sexual themes, character death, and the most horrific of them all...high school.

**Summary:** Although having grown up together, Sarada Uchiha and Boruto Uzumaki absolutely despise each other. She thinks he's cocky and shallow, and he thinks she's presumptuous and unlikable. But, being forced onto the student council together might change their minds, and they'll find themselves falling in love, while everything else is falling apart. BoruSara, slow burn High School AU

* * *

In hindsight, this was a complete mess. Groups of boys were chugging their drinks then smashing the cans over their head, girls were screaming, laughing, music was blasting, people were throwing other people into the pool, food fights, people were passed out on her patio, couples were making out on the grass, and Sarada could only stare with her eyes wide.

If her parents _ever_ found out, she would be in _so_ much trouble.

_Seven Days Before_

Sarada Uchiha was a practical, logical, level-headed girl. Calculated. Analytical. Intelligent. Never reacted based on emotions, only logic. She liked to take her time to fully think through all the possibilities, pros and cons, and the outcome before making a decision. Sometimes it would take her days to come to a solution. Never would she act in haste.

But when it came to her best friend Chocho Akimichi, there were just some things she couldn't refuse. Her best friend just so happened to be her weak spot.

"_Pleaaase_ can we throw a _huge_ party! We're starting our sophomore year soon, your parents will be out of town and I only turn sixteen once in my life, please, _please_!"

"Um…" Sarada hesitated, but with Chocho giving her those puppy eyes it was making it hard for her to say no. Her mother would absolutely kill her. She didn't want to think about what her father would do. But Chocho was right, and Sarada didn't want to disappoint her. It would be Chocho's sweet sixteen, and when you turned sixteen it was _always_ supposed to be special.

"Okay...maybe. I'll ask my mom."

"Yay!" Chocho squealed, squeezing her in a tight hug. Sarada couldn't breathe. "Sarada you're the best!"

She could only respond with a nervous laugh.

As usual, the Uchiha household was exponentially quiet that night; peaceful. Not a stirring sound except the faucet water running over the dishes her mother was washing after their incredible dinner. Her father was reading a book at the kitchen table. Sarada played with her napkin nervously before taking in a sharp breath of courage, then spoke.

"Hey...mom?"

Sakura turned her head from her dishes. "Yes?"

Sarada hesitated, not quite sure how to word it. She'd never asked her parents to throw a party for someone before. "So, um, Chocho's birthday is next week. And she wants a party."

Sasuke's eyes flicked upward from the books pages, and Sarada quickly backpedaled. "I-It's at her house, and I was just wondering if I could go!"

"Next week?" Sakura questioned. She looked at Sasuke. "We'll be in Italy. Sarada, I don't feel comfortable having you out of the house that late without us here."

"Mom, I promise everything will be okay! Besides, Chocho's parents will be there, it literally won't even be anything big."

Yeah, that's what she wanted to tell herself anyway. Lies upon lies. She was digging herself into a deeper hole. Knowing Chocho, their entire school plus people from their rival schools would show up.

"No boys?" Sasuke asked. Sarada shook her head, her nerves bundling up.

"Nope." She didn't see why Chocho would invite boys anyway since she was the only one who associated with them. They were dumb, loud, and annoying, and Sarada sure didn't get along with any of them.

"Well okay, I suppose it's alright. Double check with her parents to make sure, though." Sakura said, and Sarada almost forgot it was a lie. Her eyes lit up.

"Thank you!"

**XxX**

"Sarada!" Chocho sang from her doorway. Sarada smiled and jogged up to her friends house quicker, waving bye to her mother as she drove off.

"Did you ask?" Her eyes were filled with a burning excitement. Sarada gulped.

"Yeah…"

"Well what'd they say?!"

They didn't say _yes_ to the exact situation, technically, but they hadn't said _no_. Throwing a huge party seemed like a terrible idea, especially because she had to lie about it. Not to mention her parents would be gone so who knew what could happen with a bunch of teenagers unoccupied.

Alas, though, it was Chocho's birthday, and Sarada couldn't refuse her friends happiness.

"They...said yes!" She added as much enthusiasm as possible. Chocho gasped and jumped in the air.

"Yes! Sarada your parents are the best! I wish mine were as cool as yours." She pouted.

"Okay, but this _cannot_ be a big party!" She said, her tone desperate. Not telling the full truth was already pushing it. "You, me, Sumire, Wasabi, Namida, that's it. No boys, no alcohol. Because my parents think we're having a girls night at _your_ house."

"Oh loosen up!" She slapped her friend's shoulder. "Don't worry, it won't be a big party."

Sarada sighed in relief. She could always count on Chocho to have her back.

"Are you sure no boys?" Chocho let out an annoyed sigh. Sarada rolled her eyes.

"Yes."

"Not even Inojin?! Come on, his mom would literally be so offended I didn't invite him."

"Okay, _maybe_ Inojin, but that's it!"

Chocho smirked. "You're the best!"

Sarada glared but then pushed her lightly, and they went into the house. After a few hours of braiding hair, jabbering on about becoming sophomores, Sakura came to pick Sarada back up when Chocho had to go to her gymnastics class. Sarada knew she didn't quite have the grit to get into something that intense, she was more into books and nice strolls in the park.

Once they got home, Sarada felt a tugging towards something more fulfilling than sitting in her room all night alone. It was something much akin to freedom, with the mixture of outside in the nice weather and feeling the last bit of freedom and sense of childhood. She announced she was going to take a walk, and quickly went out the back door.

Practically right behind her back yard, an empty park sat hidden in a grove of pine trees. It was somewhere she always went by herself to relax, think, look at the sky, or read. It was nearing the end of July, so the weather was still warm and humid. For the time of day as well, there was nothing prettier than the sunset gleaming through the cracks of the grove as Sarada skipped through it. Twigs crunched with every step and everything reflected orange and yellow. Once she reached the swings, she kicked herself off the ground and began going higher and higher until she could almost see over the trees. The colors meshing together with the sunset was absolutely breathtaking. It looked like paradise.

School started in three weeks, so she only had that time to spend by herself before dedicated another year to endless homework, honor classes, and extracurricular activities. Sophomore year; it was crazy to think she would also be turning sixteen next year. Unfortunately she was on the younger spectrum of the grade, so it would be a while before she could drive. Her uncle Itachi had already begun teaching her how to drive a manual, much to Sasuke's chagrin.

Nights like these, usually Itachi would take her out for a drive then they would go back to his house and binge their favorite television shows and eat ice cream, but today he was working a night shift. Maybe that's why Sarada felt so lonely; because Chocho and Itachi, two of the most important people in her life, had other lives and were busy all the time. She made people a main priority but couldn't be one to others.

Sarada's phone buzzed in her pocket, and her zen broke. She frowned and opened the message, it was her mother telling her to come home because it was getting dark.

With a sigh, she got to her feet and kicked the sand from her sandals, and went home.

* * *

The morning of the party, Chocho was so ecstatic the entire day, Sarada almost thought she had one too many energy drinks. Chocho had already opened most of her presents which consisted of money, new makeup, accessories, and other needs, then her mom took them shopping. Chocho had a three hundred dollar limit, which with her shopping addiction, was nothing at all. Sarada didn't mind being dragged everywhere, she just enjoyed the company. Being an only child with a traveling work dad and mother who worked full time at the hospital did get really lonely, but she also knew they wouldn't be as well off as they were without her parents working hard.

Karui took lots of pictures of them throughout the day, and she was even kind enough to buy Sarada a new dress. It was summery and flowy, something appropriate enough she could wear to the party tonight. It was short sleeved with a black, white, and red flower pattern. She never considered herself "fashionable", she only wore simple things that looked good on her. If anyone was the fashionista, it was Chocho.

On their way back to the Akimichi home, Chocho was singing karaoke to her favorite song when they pulled into the driveway. Karui turned around and the two girls stopped.

"Get out of the car and close your eyes. No peeking!" She said, and Chocho and Sarada were both confused. They did, and they heard a car pull into the driveway. It was killing Sarada not to know what was going on, she assumed Chocho felt the same way but even more so.

"Okay, open your eyes!" Karui said. They both did, and Chocho gasped loudly. Sarada's jaw almost dropped to the ground.

"A new _car!_"

Choji stepped out of the driver's seat, a big grin on his face. It was a mint green Fiat, the newest model, covered in a big bow and the words written "happy birthday" and "sweet 16" on the windows. Chocho was screaming, jumping up and down. Sarada couldn't help but join her, she was so excited for her friend. A new car for her birthday?! Wow, Chocho was so lucky.

"Happy birthday!" Choji said, handing her the keys. Chocho was still flailing her arms around and gave him the biggest hug.

"Oh my God oh my God thank you! Thank you thank you dad I love you!"

Watching their interactions gave Sarada a pang in her side. She missed her dad. He wasn't around a lot, but when he was it was quiet or he only lectured her to "be her best self," "don't show your emotions to the enemy," "always show what an Uchiha is capable of" and blah blah. They didn't talk much, and she certainly couldn't imagine him bringing her a new car with a big grin on his face. If anything, she'd be sitting at the kitchen table and he'd set the keys down next to her without a word then retreat to his office.

Itachi felt more like a father figure to her; he matched her enthusiasm and sang in the car with her with the windows rolled down and had ever since she was little. It was hard not to resent her parents now that she was older and saw how her friends' parents were always around. But she tried to keep to herself about it. She had a roof over her head, food on the table, so there was nothing she should be complaining about.

"Chocho, take Sarada for a ride." Karui said, noticing Sarada's sudden change of mood. "Just don't wreck it!"

Chocho beckoned Sarada to get in the front seat. She supposed now wasn't the time to sulk about her daddy issues, so she hopped in the car and they blasted the radio. It was nice to feel free.

"I _love_ this!" Chocho exclaimed. "Ugh, this is the best birthday ever!"

"Really though," Sarada said, attempting to swap her sullen, intrinsic mood for a more ecstatic, happy one. She had to snap out of it for Chocho. It was her birthday, this day was all about her. She'd gotten her presents, they went shopping, their little get-together was tonight, school started next week, and life was great. Sarada shouldn't be so depressed.

"I can't wait for the party tonight," Chocho said, messing with the radio stations, "your swimming pool is still open right?"

"Swimming pool?" Sarada was now suspicious. "Chocho, I told you not to invite a ton of people!"

"I didn't, swear!" She held her hands up defensively. "Inojin said he wanted to bring another friend so he wouldn't be the only guy, I promise!"

"Okay..." Sarada was already so worried about her parents discovering her little white lie, she just had to go turn off the outside patio camera if she wanted to get away with it. But, if her parents decided to check and saw they were off, then they would know for sure something was up. So if anything, Sarada would have to turn it so it was facing the ground, which would also be suspicious.

Well, there was nothing she could do, so she'd just have to risk leaving the cameras on, and hope her parents didn't have jet lag boredom. Besides, these were all friends her age that her parents have met. They know Inojin and all his friends. She'd just say more people ended up coming so it was more practical to go to her house since Chocho's parents wanted to go to sleep. Boom. Problem solved. It's not like there was going to be anything scandalous going on, just fun night games and swimming.

In hindsight, this was a complete mess. Groups of boys were chugging their drinks then smashing the cans over their heads, girls were screaming, laughing, music was blasting, people were throwing other people into the pool, food fights, people were passed out on her patio, couples were making out on the grass, and Sarada could only stare with her eyes wide.

If her parents _ever_ found out, she would be in _so_ much trouble.

"Chocho!" Sarada exclaimed in a frenzy, searching for her friend amongst the groups of people. She had been too occupied _inside_ the house attempting to wrangle every wild person in her living room from throwing her mom's expensive vases around, that she hadn't noticed the commotion that had steadily built outside. She recognized Sumire, Inojin and Shikadai, but that was it. Everyone else looked like a stranger. It was only an hour into the party and already everything was a disaster! "Cho! What the hell!"

"Oh, hi!" Chocho sang through her mouth full of food. "Isn't this so much fun?"

"You said only a couple people! This is like a _hundred_!"

Chocho laughed loudly. "Lighten up! This is like the back to school party, except it's all about me!" She shoved a handful of potato chips in her mouth. Sumire gave Sarada an understanding look, and Sarada just sighed. She pressed a hand to her temple. This was too much to deal with. Chocho always let things get out of hand.

"Aye, happy birthday Cho!" Boruto Uzumaki – the schools' notorious jockey rich boy and also, tragically, Sarada's parents' best friends' son – who was obviously very drunk, roughly disheveled her hair as he walked by with Mitsuki, who was basically his right hand man. Wherever Boruto was, Mitsuki wasn't far behind.

Chocho gasped and slapped his hand away, but there was a sly look on her face as she did so.

"Boruto, hair!" She exclaimed incredulously.

"Chocho, don't care?" He responded equally as sassy. He cackled as she huffed and proceeded to fix her now frizzy hairstyle, and Sarada adjusted her glasses carefully. Chocho then clasped her arms around Sarada's as he strolled away.

"He's such a bad boy." She sighed with a hopeless smile on her face. It was obvious from her giggly wobbles she'd already drank too much and it was getting to her head. Sarada scoffed. A bad boy, more like a bad person. "He's sooo cute.

"Not really." Sarada grimaced. "You're just drunk. It messes with your frontal cortex so your immediate decision making is hindered. You find people attractive you wouldn't if you were sober."

"Okay, what are you a walking Wikipedia? Sarada, what other man do you know can shotgun three cans of beer in a row? He's like a sex god!"

Did she literally not just hear _anything_ Sarada said? Sarada rolled her eyes and pushed Chocho off. "_Cho_, my parents and his parents are best friends, I've grown up in close proximity with him. I _know_ him, he's just a stuck up, disrespectful, cocky, player rich boy with no depth! He's as shallow as a kiddie pool!"

"That's okay, I play in the shallow end anyway." Chocho said dreamily. She shook back and forth and squealed. "Hey, Boruto!" She called out, running after him.

Sarada slapped her hand to her face. Honestly, Chocho was so easily lovestruck by men that _any_ guy could look her way and she would be in love immediately. There was absolutely _no_ way Sarada would ever be swayed by the male charm, e_specially_ by someone like Boruto Uzumaki.

Chocho and Boruto seemingly disappeared somewhere meanwhile Sarada was hastily trying to pick up as much trash as possible. She had gotten most of it cleaned up when Boruto and Chocho reappeared on the diving board, his arm slung around her neck, her arms holding his waist tightly. They were both very apparently drunk. Sarada feared they might tip over and fall in.

"Hey everyone! Time to sing happy birthday to my girl here Chocho! Ready?"

All at once everyone started singing happy birthday, and despite everything Sarada couldn't help but smile. Yeah, tonight was kind of a hot mess, but Chocho truly looked genuinely happy; even if she was drunk and wrapped around Boruto's finger, Sarada hoped her birthday lived up to her expectations. Even at the expense of Sasuke grounding her for the rest of her life.

Once everyone was done singing, Boruto shouted, "after party at Mitsuki's house!" Then planted a big kiss on Chocho.

Everyone cheered, and an upperclassman, Iwabee, came up behind them and shoved the unsuspecting couple into the pool. Chocho and Boruto screamed and landed with a big splash. Everyone laughed hysterically and Sarada only shook her head. Absolute idiots.

Mitsuki helped Boruto and Chocho out, then guided Boruto to his car while Chocho shivered her way to Sarada. She lead Chocho inside the house to dry her off.

"Are you going to the after party?" Chocho asked drowsily. Sarada scrunched her brows.

"No, and I don't think you should either."

"But Saradaaa," Chocho whined. "Boruto is gonna be there! Please?"

"Just hang out with him another time, you're too drunk right now."

"Sarada, please? I really like him and he likes me too. He said so himself."

Not that it was surprising, just Sarada had this overwhelming feeling in the pit of her stomach that was unsettling. For the type of guy Boruto was and the type of girl Chocho was, he was bad news. No girl that had been in a relationship with him had spoken highly of him after the breakup. It was always horrible things, like he'd manipulated them, cheated, treated them terribly, or just plain broke their hearts because he was bored. Boruto was a horrible person and Sarada didn't want her best friend getting caught up in his scene, he'd been with _way_ too many girls for her liking, and Chocho deserved much better than that. He was the type that "picked" girls and owned them; never upheld the typical standards of "liking" just anyone, which is what made Sarada so nervous.

"No."

Chocho frowned. "But it's my birthday."

Sarada paused the blow dryer. Maybe she was preemptively judging him a little too harshly – she didn't know him _personally_, only what she'd heard around school from others and what she'd seen at their family get togethers. At school, he was definitely stuck up, boisterous, the class clown, cruel to girls he rejected, always the center of attention, and flaunting his money and wealth in front of others; meanwhile at the family get togethers he was always quiet, respectful, but still had a sharp tongue on him dare someone step out of line. Not to mention he literally lived on the opposite side of the block from her. It seemed like her entire life she could never escape his presence.

The more Sarada thought about it, the more she became perplexed. Who _was_ Boruto Uzumaki, then? How was he so drastically different at school versus with his family? Which one was the real him?

With a heavy sigh, Sarada came to a conclusion. It wasn't her decision to make, it was Chocho's, and all she could do was support her friend.

"Okay, fine–" Chocho was about to squeal, and Sarada held up a finger, "_but!_ First let me close the pool, clean a little more, lock the house _then_ we'll go."

Chocho's eyes lit up. "You're literally the best!"

After tonight, Sarada definitely, without a doubt, knew that.

**XxX**

Mitsuki's house was much more modern, less traditional style, with sleek marble countertops, expensive television's hung on the wall, artwork framing every free space of the long entryway, and marble flooring. There were significantly less people here, still a lot of girls, mostly ones she didn't know, but she knew the group of boys at the table. Boruto, Mitsuki, Inojin, Shikadai, Denki, Iwabee, and Metal. They were all playing beer pong, and the second Boruto noticed them walk in the house, he ditched the girl he was curled on the couch with, walked over, and rested his arm over Chocho's shoulders.

"Glad to see you finally showed up." He said, then eyed Sarada up and down. "Welcome."

She only flared her nostrils in response.

After a moment of speaking to Chocho, Boruto nodded his head. "Aye Sarah, take my place really fast," He said, shoving her over to the table next to Mitsuki. Sarada stared blankly at him. Um, excuse him?

"It's Sarada!"

"Yeah, yeah," He waved her off, He wanted her to take his place? She'd never played beer pong before let alone drank in her _life_!

"W-Wait!" She exclaimed, but they were already gone.

"Hurry up it's your turn!" Iwabee said impatiently, as they all looked at her expectantly, and Sarada glared at him.

"It's just a stupid game, just drink it if you're so impatient!"

"Just throw the damn ball." He snapped.

Well, she would, if she knew what to do in the first place. Looking to Mitsuki, he smiled.

"Aim the ball for one of the cups, if you make it, they have to drink it. If you don't, it's their turn. Make sure your elbow doesn't pass the edge of the table."

Oh, that sounded so easy. Why was this game deemed so difficult? Probably because most people who played were drunk so their aim was off, but Sarada was completely sober, so this would be a breeze.

One by one, Sarada made all the cups much to Iwabee and Denki's dismay. At this point they tapped out, saying they were too drunk, and no one dared go up against Sarada after that. She wasn't much fun to play against since she kept winning and was arrogant about it, so they kicked her out of the game.

Alas, she sat on the couch, playing games on her phone just waiting for Chocho in a house full of strangers. Growing up in the same schools and being put in the same classes with the same people her whole life was one thing, but hanging with them outside of school was another. These people weren't her friends, they were her classmates, and it was awkward. She wasn't much of a socializer, she tended to keep to herself and plant flowers, clean, read, and do laundry. Chocho was the social butterfly, not her.

When Boruto reappeared without any sign of Chocho, Sarada immediately stood. She stormed over and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, yanking him forward resulting in a yelp.

"Where is she?!"

"Woah, chill! She's asleep in Mitsuki's room." He held his hands up. "I didn't do anything to her."

Sarada had high doubts, so she shoved him back a little harsher than needed and went down the hallway in search of her friend. Boruto waited until she left to smirk at his friends.

"But that doesn't mean she didn't do anything to me!" His friends all exclaimed "ayeeee" and fist bumped him in congrats.

The large vertical door leading to Mitsuki's room was cracked open, so Sarada peered inside. True to what Boruto said, Chocho was there sound asleep. She had goosebumps on her skin, and there was no blanket on top of her – the insensitivity – so Sarada went and draped one over her. After attempting to shake her awake, there was no success. Well, it seemed like Chocho wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. Guess she was staying here for the night.

With a sigh, Sarada shut the door quietly and went back to the couch. She was still keeping a keen eye out for any sneaks who tried to get into Mitsuki's room while Chocho was asleep. If that happened, Sarada would beat their ass.

The boys were all engrossed in another game of beer pong, and Sarada curled up next to a pillow, pulling out her phone. Her mother had texted her, _how is Chocho's birthday? _so she responded with, _great, she's having a lot of fun! We went on a shopping spree and her dad got her a car_

"Who ya texting?"

Sarada jumped at the voice. It was Boruto; his lips only inches from her ear, his posture lazily leaned on the back of the couch with a tantalizingly flirtatious look in his eye. Shivers ran up her spine, but then she glared at him. She could not stand him. Just looking at him and his devilish blue eyes pissed her off.

"Mind your business."

"Updating your father about how his best friends' son is getting plastered?" He climbed over the back of the couch, sprawling his legs out, leaning on the back of his hands. How infuriating could one person be?!

"Am not!"

"You can't even snitch because if you did, your dad would know you're here too! Am I wrong?" Boruto sent her a devious look.

At the mentioning, Sarada suddenly felt guilty. Her backyard was still trashed no matter how hard she'd tried to clean it, she didn't even want to know what the remaining inside of the house looked like, she lied about who and how many people would be there, they were all drinking underage, and she felt terrible. Boruto quickly picked up on her mood and leaned forward, his sarcastic tone completely dropping.

"Aye, I was only messing around."

He sounded _so_ gentle and genuine that it caught Sarada completely off guard. In the entirety of their life growing up together, she'd never heard Boruto talk so sweetly. He was always loud; yelling, laughing, arguing, bantering, flirting, and if there was one thing Boruto Uzumaki was _not,_ it was soft.

"Also, by the way, you look really pretty in that dress. I like that color on you." He said.

Sarada's heart raced a thousand times at the compliment. What the hell? _Boruto_ thought she looked _pretty_? What year was it? What universe were they in?

They stared at each other for a long, strange, moment until Shikadai was catapulted onto the couch right into their laps. Sarada and Boruto both gasped loudly. Inojin and Denki were cracking up with laughter.

Shikadai only groaned and rolled onto the ground, slowly rising to his hands and knees. "I'm gonna kill you guys."

"I think we're done." Mitsuki said, his tone firm, but eyes still held amusement. He always had the same look no matter what. He always wore blue and white outside of school, always had an even expression that showed no emotions, was always neutral, so no wonder him and Boruto were best friends. He kept him grounded while simultaneously providing a partner in crime, since he hardly discouraged Boruto from doing something stupid, yet chided him when necessary.

"Is everyone sleeping here?" Denki asked. Mitsuki's eyes scanned across the room, staring down the rest of the people at the party.

"No. Everyone leave." He said with such a soft smile almost everyone thought he was joking. But, when that smile slowly faded, everyone quickly realized how serious he was and scrambled to get their things, calling Uber's or their friends to come pick them up.

Sarada quietly slipped away from the madness and made her way down the hall to Mitsuki's room where she peered into the room. Chocho was still passed out. Small snores could be heard from her, and Sarada sighed.

"Here." Boruto was suddenly behind her again. She jumped, but then looked quizzically at the t-shirt in his hands. "She won't wake up any time soon, so you should just sleep here. Mitsuki won't care if it's you two, he just hates everyone else."

She blinked, still not grasping what he was trying to get at. What a pervert, was this his way of saying he was going to wait until she was asleep to do things to her? "Um, no. I'm waking her up–"

"Sarada," Boruto quipped. "It's late and _you_ can't drive. And a dress like that is meant to be pretty, not slept in."

Without waiting for her to initiate taking it, he flung the t-shirt over her head then walked the other way, and she scrambled to slip it off. Immediately, he was back to the regular, megaphone Boruto, yelling and attitude and cockiness emitting from his pores like a fragrance as he helped Mitsuki kick everyone out of the house.

Everything puzzled her. He was absolutely infuriating, and his voice sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard, so why was he being so damn nice to her? He didn't even remember her name, for God's sake. Why, she wondered, why. He probably acted like this with every girl – that's how he got them to fall for him so fast. With everyone else, loud and clownery, then with the girls, caring and sensitive. He was such a good actor, but Sarada saw right through his little scheme. Playing with Chocho's feelings, now trying to pull Sarada into his game as well like she was another disposable piece. Hah. Despicable. She would never fall for it.

Slipping into the room and shutting the door, Sarada looked at the t-shirt. Boruto's t-shirt. She felt weird putting it on. But he was right, a dress wasn't too comfortable to sleep in, so it was thoughtful that he gave it to her for tonight. Still weird though. He annoyed her. Yet he was so nice tonight...but that was suspicious!

It was baggy, and even considering that Boruto was the same height as Sarada, it almost reached her knee caps. She looked in Mitsuki's mirror, examining herself. Her hair was cropped short and pinned back, red glasses framed her face, Boruto's t-shirt hung from her shoulders, and she just looked..._different_. But she didn't like it. She wanted to be more like Chocho. More stylish, more beautiful, more fit, less _Sarada_.

But, recalling Boruto's earlier comment, her face felt hot, and she pushed it away and went to sleep.


	2. II: Tension

In the morning. Sarada woke up around six-thirty, and Chocho was still passed out. The light was beginning to stream through Mitsuki's blinds, and Sarada finally took a chance to look at his bedroom. It was rather large – definitely bigger than hers – with the queen sized bed in the middle of the wall, a large television that stood at the foot of it with an Xbox perched underneath in one of the coffee table's compartments, tapestries symmetrically hung up on either side of the bedposts, a large mirror that took over the perimeter of the closet doors, and a desk with a new laptop set up all nice and pristine in the right corner. The marble flooring was cold as Sarada slowly slipped off the bed, the t-shirt falling down to her knees. Again, she looked in the mirror.

Her hair was too short. Her legs were too skinny. Her face was too angular. Her eyes were too deep set. She hardly looked cute in an oversized t-shirt, let alone regular clothes. The dress from last night was the closest thing to cute she's felt in a long time. She's never cared about her looks before, so why now? Why was everything hitting her so hard since yesterday?

There was no hope for lightening her mood, so Sarada plopped back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Making shapes of the textures and patterns was entertaining for only a moment, until she forced herself to go back to sleep.

Eventually, Sarada was woken up by Chocho demanding what happened last night. To be honest, Sarada was still so tired she didn't even remember herself, but told Chocho all the details she could recall in the moment. When Sarada mentioned something about Boruto, Chocho's cheeks lit up. She paused.

"What?"

"Um, nothing." Chocho averted her gaze. Sarada knew that look. She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing suspiciously, and Chocho backed away. "Wh-What?"

"What happened last night?" Sarada demanded.

"Ummm, I'm not allowed to talk about it."

"Did you guys do it?"

"No!" She squealed. "Just...things happened."

Sarada rested back on her knees. "Like what?"

Chocho tilted her head to the side. "Mmm, well, he didn't do anything to me, I only did stuff to him."

Sarada's mouth dropped, and Chocho burst into giggles.

"Stop giving me that look!"

"Chocho I can't believe you!" Sarada laughed.

Chocho flipped her hair behind her shoulder. "What can I say, I know what I do."

Sarada was finishing the remnants of her laughter, when a question popped in her head. Her face almost flushed just thinking about it. She suddenly went quiet, and Chocho looked at her curiously.

"What?"

"Was he...big?"

"_Sarada!_" Chocho squealed loudly, falling to her side from laughing so hard. Tears were coming from her eyes. "Oh my God, I can't believe you!"

"N-N-No, I didn't mean it like _I_ wanted to know! I-I-It's just a question! All the girls talk about it!" Sarada flailed her hands back and forth.

Chocho's laughter was so loud that she probably woke up anyone else in the household. Well, it was around eleven, so not like it was early. But still, they were guests in Mitsuki's house, she didn't want to be obnoxiously loud.

"You've never even seen one before so you wouldn't know the difference." Chocho smacked her lightly. Sarada huffed, her arms folded defensively.

"Neither have you!"

"Girl, I don't know what you've been doing on _your_ weekends, but I've definitely seen more than one."

"Yeah, okay. Whose?"

Chocho was silent.

"That's what I thought."

"_Okayyy_," Chocho drawled out, "like one other in person! The rest have been pictures."

"From who?"

"Sorry, I can't screenshot and tell." Chocho winked at her and Sarada rolled her eyes.

"You're such a liar."

Chocho shrugged. "Gotta make it seem like boys want me."

"I think it'll do the exact opposite, but whatever." Sarada shook her head and got up from the bed. "So? Was he?"

"Mm, wouldn't you like to know?" Chocho teased. "Whose t-shirt is that?"

"You answer my question I'll answer yours."

They both gave each other an even stare, then answered simultaneously.

"Yes."

"Boruto's."

"What?!" Chocho looked offended. Sarada suddenly realized it must've appeared that once she fell asleep, Boruto and Sarada did the deed and he gave her a t-shirt to sleep in. Which completely wasn't the case, Sarada had never even kissed a boy!

"He gave it to me to sleep in last night because he said my dress looked uncomfortable! I swear we didn't do anything!" Sarada quickly deflected.

"Um, that's a big hint he wanted you to get naked!" Chocho rested her arms behind her head. "But we're practically dating now, so I can't have you wearing my boyfriends t-shirts to bed. So take it off."

Sarada rolled her eyes, taking off the shirt and throwing it at Chocho and changing back into her dress. Whatever Chocho wanted, Sarada was fine with. She wasn't as interested in boys as her friend was, and especially thought Boruto was obnoxious, arrogant, superficial, and annoyed. She hated him. But apparently his peen made up for his horrendous personality and won over ninety-five percent of the girls at the school. So whatever, Chocho was happy, that's what mattered. At least Sarada wasn't dumbstruck by his stupid looking mug.

And she wasn't going to think about that compliment he gave her last night, either.

They fix themselves up before heading out the door, Mitsuki waving politely while Boruto didn't say a single word or even spare a glance at either of them. Chocho was disappointed but Sarada gave the excuse that he probably had a horrible hangover and didn't want to talk to anyone until he felt better. That put her worries at ease and they went out for breakfast.

Chocho ordered unlimited pancakes, hash browns, sausage, bacon, eggs, a crepe, and orange juice, while Sarada just went with an omelette. It was almost too much food for her while Chocho ate everything with ease. How she kept her figure and ate more than the average person was beyond Sarada.

"So would today or yesterday be our anniversary?" Chocho pondered, putting another half of a pancake into her mouth.

"Honestly, Cho, I think you're being a little delusional. You guys barely became a thing last night and once you were asleep he tried to get at me and every other girl in the room."

"You said nothing happened."

"Yeah, I know, but he kept hanging around and flirting with me!"

Chocho tsked. "Sarada, as the duff between the two of us, he has to be nice to you because you're my best friend. You never socialize with boys so it probably seemed like he was flirting because that was your first time. He knows better than anyone that in order for the relationship to be perfect, he _has_ to get along with the best friend too, which happens to be you. So obviously he has to make you like him."

Sarada tilted her head. What? Chocho was spouting nonsense. Never in a million years would Sarada like Boruto, so he and Chocho were doomed.

"See, but who _wouldn't_ want to be with me?" Chocho finished the pancake in another bite. "I should call him tonight. You better not ruin this for me, Sarada."

"Did you not just hear a word I said?" Sarada grumbled.

Typical Chocho. Always making everything about herself.

She had a feeling Boruto would be the main topic of discussion for months to come until he inevitably did something unforgivable and they broke up. Boruto just didn't seem like the type of guy to last long in relationships or to even know how to be a gentleman. He was too flaky and too flirty. So it would be interesting to see if they even worked out or if he would just play mind games the whole time. Sarada was completely opposed to her best friend even interacting with that asshole from the start, but at this point Chocho's mind was made up. In her head, he was already her boyfriend, so there was no going back.

"Yeah, I think I'll call him. When are you gonna be normal like me and get a boyfriend so we can go on double dates?"

The question was so random Sarada almost choked on her water. "Never. Boys don't like me."

"Oh, whatever! You just have to try harder to be prettier. All we need to do is update your clothes, buy you some new shoes, put a little makeup on you and boom! You'll be a new girl. Maybe do something new with your hair too."

"I can't do much 'cause it's already short."

"Get extensions." Chocho tugged on her own hair to make a point. "My hair is long, but to get it as thick as it is requires clip ins!"

"Those are expensive, my parents would never! My dad would kill me if he knew I was trying to look good for boys." Sarada muttered.

"Your dad is old fashioned. Look, lets go to the mall really fast, we'll find super cheap, long clip ins, and it'll be fine!"

Sarada grimaced. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! If you're not up to my level of cuteness, I can't be seen with you anymore. So we gotta do something about that. And since yesterday was so much fun, I need to repay you somehow!" Chocho said.

Well, once again her mind was made up, so Sarada had to go along with the whims of Chocho Akimichi. Not that she was opposed to a makeover, in fact she'd been wanting one before school started. So now was the perfect time, and Sarada had a great feeling about it.

**XxX**

Luckily, her parents still hadn't found out about the party, and they were coming home the following Sunday, the day before school started. Sarada had gone back to her house after the mall and scrubbed every inch of floor, counter, patio, swimming pool, bathroom and emptied every trash and febreezed every room until her hands were raw and she was sweating. Apparently Chocho had ditched to go hang out with Boruto, which left Sarada cleaning the house by herself. It took hours, but she finished it, and once the garbage man picked everything up tomorrow, there would be absolutely no trace of the party. Thank God.

The first day of school, Sarada was so nervous to do her own makeup and hair that she had Chocho come over the morning of so they could get ready together. She had been practicing over the week, but still couldn't get the clip-ins to blend. She wanted to look perfect the first day to show everyone how pretty she could be. She even went out of her comfort zone and got a tight-fitting top, skinny jeans, and a cute pair of brown sandals, then put on some flashy rings and bracelets, and a locket necklace Itachi gave her when she was born. She only wore it for special occasions, and this was definitely one of those times. The only thing that still looked the same were her glasses and her smile. Everything else looked different.

"You girls ready?" Sakura knocked lightly on Sarada's door frame, and Chocho grinned.

"Yep! Look how pretty Sarada is now!"

"Wow, your hair is beautiful! Are those extensions?" Sakura exclaimed. Sasuke was walking by right as she said that, and peered into the room.

"Yeah. Are they too much?" Sarada ran her hands through them, pinching the soft, synthetic curled ends between her fingers. Sakura shook her head.

"No, you look so grown up!"

Sasuke made a noise.

"Oh honey, stop. Compliment her!" Sakura said.

"You look very nice." Sasuke said. Sarada beamed.

"Thanks!"

"Let me take your pictures," Sakura said, reading her camera. They all went outside and the two girls posed. Sarada couldn't help but be ecstatic. The nerves were now settling in. New classes, new teachers, a new school year, a new look, a new start.

"Have fun!" Sakura waved as they hopped into Chocho's car.

"Be sure to send some pictures to my mom!" Chocho said, and they pulled out of the driveway. The school wasn't too far, so neither pair of parents were concerned about them carpooling. They blasted music, singing along to their favorite song, and pulled into the parking lot.

Sarada felt more excited than nervous to see everyone from last year. Some people had changed a lot over the summer whereas others hadn't as much. Chocho was social as ever, saying hi to everyone, hugging all her friends, and bragging that she now had a car. There were perks being one of the oldest in the grade, Sarada had to admit. She still had to wait until next July until she got her license.

Walking through the halls felt...different. The energy was more prominently directed at her. Instead of everyone staring only at Chocho, they were all staring at Sarada, too. All the looks and whispers were enough to make her self conscious. She didn't know how Chocho handled all this attention.

"Boruto!" Chocho called out. Having been surrounded by a huge group of people and his arm hooked around a girls' shoulders, Boruto wasn't quick to pay attention to the girl's singsong voice, until he took time to peel his eyes away from the conversation.

Quickly, his arm dropped to his side in astonishment. Everyone's attention immediately snapped to Sarada. No one was surprised to see Chocho looking flawless as ever. The big shock was the shy girl who always trailed behind her like a shadow now had a presence, and a grand one too.

"Is that Sarada?" Shikadai leaned to Boruto. His brow furrowed.

"I think so."

Chocho squealed in delight as she wrapped her arms around Boruto. The girl he had just been cuddling looked offended and she gave a dirty look to all her friends. Boruto's friends, on the other hand, took a large step back from the ecstatic Chocho, and Boruto rolled his eyes. His gaze met Sarada's, and quickly realized his expression, and pushed Chocho off as discreetly as possible with a forced smile. Sarada felt irritation boil inside. What a faker. He wasn't even hiding his disdain. How Chocho got the impression that he liked her back was through pure delusion.

"Damn, you look hot as hell." He said to Chocho, regardless of his previous expression. The other girl smacked his arm. "What?"

"You're so stupid." She spat, then dragged her friends away. Sarada was tempted to join them in their tirade for boycotting Boruto Uzumaki, but unfortunately her best friend was an idiot and no one else would put up with her like Sarada could, so she had to stay put.

Chocho giggled and twirled in a circle, sending a dirty look to the girl who just left as if it was some victory that Boruto called her hot. Sarada folded her arms.

Girls were crazy and bitter. Pining after a boy wasn't cute, but if Sarada tried to tell her best friend that, it would go through one ear and right out the other. Chocho was crazy trying to fight to be with someone like Boruto. She was changing herself to be what he wanted, and he still didn't even want her! But besides that, what was Boruto's problem anyway? He was so two faced it wasn't even funny. It was blatantly obvious that he was playing games with Chocho and hundreds of other girls in the school. He probably had one hoe per hallway.

"If anyone looks good, it's Sarada. Like damn." Iwabee commented.

Sarada's cheeks lit up as she realized that everyone's eyes were indeed all on her. She'd never had boys look at her like this before, and with everyone staring at her like that, especially Boruto, it was embarrassing. His eyes quickly went up and down, but then averted somewhere out in the distance. Chocho's mouth parted in an attempt to comment a retaliation, but seeing no one was paying attention to her, the look on her face said everything. She looked at Sarada, and Sarada's stomach knotted.

"U-Uh, Cho, I'm going to our locker." Sarada forced a smile, turning on her heel, and walking the other way. Her heart was thudding so hard in her chest it felt like it was going to explode while her hair trailed behind her like ocean waves.

Mitsuki glanced at Boruto. Boruto ignored him.

While Sarada was at her locker, a few friends ran up to her, giddily complimenting her hair and said how pretty she was, then about her summer. It was so nice to see all her school friends again. A whole summer with just Chocho had been a lot, but Sarada was always too shy to reach out first.

Even though it was a bit embarrassing, Sarada felt so confident and empowered today. She really wanted to branch out her social circle and really make a lot of new friends this year. Her and Chocho had been friends since they were little, but for some reason today felt so off. It felt like the beginning of an ending.

With a determined sigh, she shut her locker, prepared with all the books for her classes, and headed to her designated homeroom.

Homeroom was the first half hour of the day that stayed year round. It was implemented to help students feel more prepared for the day, sort of as a buffer. They had a homeroom teacher that watched over them, took attendance, and was there to monitor, and give general announcements for the school.

There were two students chosen per homeroom to be class representatives for their year. There they were able to get general feedback and votes of the student body, discuss it with the whole student council, who could then bring it to the Headmaster. As well as other things like planning and decorating for dances, helping with school events, assisting teachers with lessons, and being good role models for their homeroom class and surrounding peers.

Sarada had quite often thought about applying. Her mother had done it as well as cheer when she was younger and had loved it. Though, Sarada wanted to explore more first. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be a class rep, join a sports team, or join a club. There were too many options.

Sitting down in a desk close to the back, she set her shoulder bag on the hook and waited patiently. Students were slowly filing in, and she was taking note of who she would be stuck with the rest of the year. So far, everyone was nice and unproblematic. Metal walked in moments later, and waved once he saw her. Namida and Wasabi followed shortly after. Sarada felt relief. Thank goodness people she knew were decent!

And, she spoke too soon. Inojin, Mitsuki, and of course, Boruto filed in right after them.

"This homeroom is gonna be lit!" Boruto cackled, taking a seat directly behind Sarada in the last row, his friends sitting on either side of him.

She felt herself sink lower into her arms. Oh _God_. This homeroom was going to be miserable.

There was lots of chatter. _Loud _chatter. And all the girls who had crushes on Boruto immediately noticed Chocho wasn't around, so they circled his desk in attempts to flirt. He was basking in it, the bastard. Sarada was already annoyed having her chair bumped by multiple girls, and almost moved one seat forward, until someone claimed it. She cursed under her breath.

"Are you excited for this year?" Metal asked, having sat next to her. She was grateful in his attempts to distract her from the squealing desperate pigs behind her.

"Yeah, I think it'll be different."

"Have you decided what club you want to join yet?"

"Honestly, no. I was thinking about it earlier, actually." She said, "I was thinking about student council, but you have to be voted in."

Metal smiled. "Well I am sure you'd be great at that! You are very smart after all. I am going to join the track team!"

Sarada laughed. "Yeah, you'd definitely be good at that."

The bell rang, and their homeroom teacher walked in the room beats later. His name was Shino Aburame, a slightly awkward reclusive fellow who collected insects, as well as a long time friend of the Hyuuga's – Hinata's family – so immediately Boruto greeted him with a loud hello. Mr. Aburame awkwardly cleared his throat to gain his composure.

"Hello everyone, welcome to the first day of school. My name is Mr. Aburame. I will be your homeroom teacher this year. Today, we'll be going over the basic rules of this classroom, and I won't make you go around and introduce yourself."

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"You'll have plenty of time to talk throughout the year. So, with that, look at your classmates. See who you know, who you don't, be sure to introduce yourselves, be kind, be helpful, and always look out for one another. We will be picking our two class representatives this week, so be thinking of who is someone that is smart, responsible, and a role model for others. They will be your voice for the year, after all."

Eyes were roaming around the whole classroom. If Sumire had been placed in the same homeroom, Sarada would have had absolutely no chance. But, looking around, she knew most girls fell a bit short of the student rep role, so she felt pretty confident. She just needed votes, and that was it.

It was decided. She'd be on the student council. No matter what.

The class was excused to chat the remaining time, so everyone turned to their friends. Sarada held a loose conversation with Metal, Namida, and Wasabi, while she could barely keep her concentration with Boruto's megaphone voice blaring right behind her. In an attempt to calm herself, she pulled her textbooks out to organize them again.

Girls had flocked over to talk to Boruto and his friends, so when the bell rang, there was a frenzy of pheromones and excitement around Sarada. A girl was pushed into her desk, knocking one of her textbooks to the ground. Sarada gasped as people neglected to notice they were stepping atop of it, and finally once the commotion was over, she was able to reach down and grab it. Only, a hand picked it up before her. They locked eyes.

"Precalculus? You never cease to amaze me." Boruto said, looking cheeky. She glared at him, then snatched the textbook from his hands.

"I won't allow myself to settle for any less."

"Obviously." He looked her up and down, then pushed her glasses up her nose. "Nerd."

Sarada's jaw dropped, and she shoved her textbook in her satchel then made a beeline for the door.

"Wait, Sarada!"

They were the only two left in the class now. Everyone else had already left, leaving an uneasy silence lingering through the air.

Sarada hesitantly turned her head, extremely annoyed. "_What_?"

"Your hair," He said, not quite sure how to finish his sentence. Sarada's shoulders dropped, and she faced him completely now, flipping the dark locks behind her shoulder.

"What about it?"

Boruto's brows scrunched together. "I mean..." He trailed off, looking at her up and down. His look was different this time.

"What?" She snapped.

"I really liked your short hair." He said.

And, oh.

It was silent between them. Sarada was completely at a loss of what to say. Boruto – who had hardly spoken more than a couple words to her in any interaction, Boruto – who purposely called her by the wrong name, had _always_ been paying attention. This whole time. Having him be so neutral when she was firing attitude from a canon was...extremely irritating. He never played into her game. He was always gentle when it came to her. Her mouth opened twice hoping she would find something to fill the pause that ensued, but nothing.

Apparently, Boruto hadn't finished, though.

"You were almost a seven, now you're a solid four point five." He shrugged, gathering his bag and pushing past her, his face completely indifferent.

Sarada's jaw dropped to the ground.

"You asshole!" She exclaimed.

She hated him, she seriously _hated_ him!

Acting all _innocent_ and _gentle_ and _soft_ to get Sarada's guard down then firing an insult right after made her blood boil. What an asshole! A rude, cocky, bastard! She'd rather be caught dead than ever talk to him again!

At the end of the day, Sarada was exhausted. Boruto's comment had gotten to her all day, she had eaten lunch on the stairs by the computer lab by herself, and now approaching her locker, Chocho and the one and only Boruto fucking Uzumaki were making out against her locker. Well, hers and Chocho's locker, but with everything going on, Sarada was about to blow her nozzle because of all things she was not a four point five, goddamnit.

"You're getting germs all over my locker." She said, her voice venomously flat, and Boruto paused to glare at her.

"Hey Chocho, I think we should call the exterminator because there seems to be a _pest_ problem here."

"Would you two stop it!" Chocho slapped Boruto's chest, then looked at Sarada. "Stop being a bitch! You're just jealous."

Sarada let out a testy breath. "Couldn't be if I tried." But, life was too short to be angry, and she and Chocho had plans. She couldn't stay mad at her best friend or it would be awkward. "Are you ready for hamburgers?"

"Oh, yeah, we're not hanging tonight anymore. I'm going to Boruto's." She said, "So you need to find a different ride home."

For the first time in Sarada's life, she was stumped. Absolutely rutted. Nothing like this had _ever_ happened to her before. They always had their tradition that after the first day of school they would go get hamburgers and shakes, and nothing came between that. Except now, her best friend was picking a boy over her.

This was a different type of feeling than when her parents were gone. This time, she felt _replaced_. Betrayed. Thrown away. And viciously angry. All because of Boruto Uzumaki.

Sarada stared at them evenly.

"Have fun then."

Without another word, she slammed the locker shut and walked away.

She was hurt. More than she ever had been in her whole life. Boruto was such a horrible person, and Chocho was falling into his trap, why didn't she _see_ that?

Tears filled Sarada's eyes as she pushed through the main hall. She was frustrated. She didn't have a ride home since her parents had expected her to be with Chocho. She could always walk, but then she'd look like a loser. A lonely loser.

Then again, that's what she was now.

Sitting on the steps in a more rural part of the school, her knees were scrunched to her chest as she willed the never ending tears to go away. This was so stupid. She was crying over the stupidest people for the stupidest reason. She was just a stupid, overemotional girl.

"Sarada?"

Sarada lifted her head to see Metal standing only a few paces away. His shorts were a little too short for her eye's comfort, but he had a workout bag hanging from his shoulder, meaning he must've just had track tryouts.

"Hey, Sarada, what happened?" He immediately fell to his knees beside her. She quickly covered her face.

"Nothing–Nothing, it's stupid."

Metal frowned. "Well, are you sure? Do you need me to walk you home?"

"N-No, I called my mom, she's coming." She said, though it was a lie. She hadn't called anyone. She was waiting for everyone to leave school so she wouldn't be seen walking out alone.

"Oh, alright. I thought you and Chocho were going out after school today?"

"No, she went to Boruto's instead." She said, a hot tear escaping the corner of her eye. Thankfully it was on the side opposite of Metal, so he didn't see it. Never in her whole life had she ever thought this situation would be a possibility.

"Boruto's?" Metal seemed surprised. Everyone had known about the birthday party and had just thought it was a one-time thing, but apparently not. Now even he was confused.

"Yeah." Sarada pulled her knees back up to her chest. Metal frowned.

"That was not very considerate of her to leave you."

"It's whatever. It's stupid, and I don't care."

Metal pursed his lips. "Hmm, well she is definitely not Boruto's type."

Sarada tilted her head to look at him. She'd never imagined Boruto as having a "type". He picked the ones that were the most desperate to give him head and lead them on for months until he got bored then dumped them.

"Really now?" She was completely disinterested.

"Yeah. He always said he likes short hair or something. At least the last time I talked to him that's what he said. This was before Chocho's party, though."

Sarada scoffed. Metal was blabbering without a clue, maybe he thought it would be some type of solace distraction to reassure her that Chocho _"was definitely not his type so it's okay! Don't worry about it!" _Well, frankly, Sarada didn't want to hear about her worst enemy's type. It was quite rich of someone who was so toxic to have such a specific look they wanted but would still let anything with two legs take his pants off.

"Hey, well, I have to go. Let me know if there's anything I can do for you, I do not want to see you sad!" Metal stood to his feet, giving her a thumbs up. "Have a great rest of your day!"

Sarada gave a halfhearted smile. What a useless interaction. "Thanks."

He practically defied gravity and flew down the staircase. With him gone, Sarada slumped on her hands. She didn't want to go home; having to face what happened with her and Chocho by rehashing the whole story to her mother didn't seem enjoyable right now. She wanted to disappear.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. It was her uncle Itachi calling.

"Hello?" She asked. She hadn't talked to him in quite a while!

"_Hey Sarada, how was your first day of school?"_

"It..." She hesitated, "It was okay."

"_Why? What happened?"_

"Chocho dumped me for a boy."

Itachi tsked on the other side. _"Are you home?"_

"No, I'm still at school. She was supposed to give me a ride home but left me here."

There was a beat of silence, then, _"I'll come pick you up. Are you hungry?"_

"Yes," She said disheartened. Hamburgers sounded so good right now, but it wouldn't be the same without Chocho.

"_Okay, be there soon. Wait out front."_

Sarada smiled. When no one else was there for her, her uncle Itachi always was. She loved her uncle so much. He was so good to her. "Thanks."

Ten minutes later, Itachi pulled up to the front. Sarada practically skipped to his car, her shoulder bag bouncing behind her.

"Wow, your hair!" He said. Sarada grinned.

"Do you like it?"

"It's very nice. It suits you." He said.

"I'm glad."

"Do you not have uniforms this year?" He inquired, flipping on his blinker.

"We do, except on the first and last day of school they let us wear whatever. Same with every Wednesday."

Itachi nodded. "I see. So who is this boy that Chocho dumped you for?"

"Boruto." She muttered. "Me and Cho were going to get hamburgers but then she was like, _'we're not hanging out I'm going to Boruto's house'_." She mocked Chocho in a higher pitched voice. Itachi raised a brow.

"Boruto Uzumaki? Naruto's son?"

"Yeah." Sarada blew a piece of hair from her face. That freaking asshole. She hated him. "He's so annoying. He's _always_ loud, _always_ with a new girl, he's _so_ rude, and he wouldn't know the definition of struggle even if it hit him in the face!"

"Unfortunately some kids will be like that, he just happens to be one of them." Itachi said, checking both ways before driving through the intersection. "It's unexpected they'd be together."

"Yeah, well, they're not even official, Boruto is playing her and it's obvious 'cause every time I see him he's with a new girl when Chocho's not looking. And they were super drunk at my house for her birthday party and the next thing you know they're making out all the time–" Sarada gasped, clasping a hand over her mouth.

Oh no. She spilled the truth; if Itachi told her dad there was a party it'd be the end of her. Itachi looked at her questionably, albeit amused.

"Care to elaborate?"

"I wasn't supposed to say anything." She said distraught. "Please, I _beg_ you don't tell my parents, I don't want them to know!"

Itachi laughed. "Sarada, that's your call. I'm your uncle, not your dad. It's up to you when you want to tell them, though I'd suggest the sooner the better. You want to keep a good relationship with your parents; after all, they give you everything they can."

"I know." She said solemnly. "I feel so bad, but if I told my dad that Chocho was going to invite boys he would've killed me."

Itachi snorted. "I'm sure he'll be understanding. Just be open with them, you already lied, and it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission."

They arrived at Sarada's favorite diner. They had the best shakes and fries, and she completely forgot about the whole Chocho Boruto situation. She loved her uncle so much, she didn't know what she would do without him. He was like her best friend. Since she didn't have any cousins that were close in age, he made up for it in any way he could.

"Itachi, why aren't you dating anyone?" Sarada asked, eating a spoonful of the chocolate shake.

"I don't believe you need anyone in this life to be happy, you can be happy by yourself."

Sarada kicked him under the table. "No, for real!"

Itachi laughed. "Sometimes it's the right person but the wrong time. The universe has a funny way of bringing people in and out of your life."

Sarada tilted her head. "So have you even looked?"

Itachi pushed his shake away. "No."

"But you're like almost fifty."

"Forty, Sarada."

"Same thing."

"I did date someone a while back."

"So what happened?"

"She found another man and liked him more." He said. Sarada suddenly went quiet.

"...Oh."

"I was twenty-five when that happened. I still hadn't decided my major, had already been in four years of school, I was living with your parents in their basement helping raise you, I had an old, beat up car and a low-paying job. But, just because those were the circumstances doesn't mean I wanted to stay there."

"Well, you obviously didn't." Sarada cast a look outside the window to his sleek, red and black Ferrari in the parking lot.

Itachi smiled. "But being wealthy isn't everything. Just remember that. I had to work very hard to get where I am today. I woke up one day and decided I wanted to stop feeling sorry for myself, so I picked a field of study, worked very hard for eight years, and now I make very good money and I'm finally out of debt from student loans. You don't have to achieve or have everything figured out at a certain age, just travel down _your_ route, and the people who are on that path with you will stay, others will come and go. So don't take your friends too seriously right now, I understand it's hard because you're young and you and Chocho have been inseparable, but you're both growing up. Allow her to grow, and most importantly, allow yourself to grow too."

Sarada smiled. Itachi always had the best advice.

Later, Sarada had gone to the park to be alone with her thoughts, swinging slowly while the sun set. Today was a rollercoaster. She was so tired, but Itachi was right, she really should tell her parents the real story about the party sooner rather than later. Lying never got anyone anywhere good. She wanted to keep a good relationship with her parents, it was just scary because she knew her dad would be very angry.

Making her way back to her house, she slid through the back door quietly, her feet softly padding against the flooring in search of her parents. Sakura was in the bathroom upstairs washing her face while Sasuke was in his office working. Sarada tiptoed past his office door up the stairs into the master bedroom. Sakura was made aware of her daughter's presence when the door squeaked open.

"Sarada?"

"Hi."

"How was school? You were out pretty late today."

Sarada hadn't gone straight inside after her uncle dropped her off. Instead, she went to the park first to sort her thoughts out before she approached her parents with the lie.

"Yeah, sorry. School was okay."

"Do you like your teachers?"

"Yeah, they're okay." Sarada slumped on their bed, and Sakura gave her daughter a look.

"It doesn't sound as "okay" as you're saying. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Chocho dumped me for a boy."

"A boy?" Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Boruto."

"Uzumaki?"

"Yup."

"How strange," Sakura pursed her lips. "I never pictured them together."

"You and everyone else." Sarada was now irritated. But, back to the original point, this was her way of transitioning into the actual story. She gulped, her annoyance dissipated and replaced with nerves. "It started at her birthday party."

"It did?" Sakura asked. She came and sat next to her daughter, setting her head on her lap, running her fingers through her hair.

"Yeah...but mom," Sarada sat up halfway. "I...need to tell you something. But please don't tell dad– not yet, at least. I don't want him to be mad."

"You can tell me anything." She said softly. Sarada laid back down and took a deep breath.

Now that she was here, it was a lot easier said than done. She didn't even know where to start, but she supposed anywhere would suffice. "Well...so, I kind of lied about Chocho's birthday party. And I'm really, really sorry."

"What happened?"

"Well...so, Chocho wanted to invite some boys, and I didn't tell you guys because I knew dad would've forbidden me to go. Then turns out more than just the people she invited ended up coming...it was a whole house party."

Sakura's hand slightly faltered, but continued to run through her hair. Sarada took another deep breath.

"Um...so, Chocho wanted it to be at our house since you guys would be gone, so a bunch of people came and people brought alcohol, I don't know about any drugs, and then Chocho and Boruto hooked up or something, then she wanted to go to an after party which was at Mitsuki's house, then she passed out on his bed and I can't drive, so we had to sleep over and now Boruto and Chocho are sort of dating. But I didn't drink anything, I swear, and I trusted Chocho to not invite too many people but it got so out of hand and I felt really taken advantage of."

Sarada let out a long sigh. "Honestly I just wanted her to have a good birthday and do everything I could to make that for her, but I feel horrible 'cause I lied to you and dad and he's going to be so mad if he finds out, and now it wasn't even worth it cause I went through all that just for Chocho to dump me for that stupid head. We were supposed to go eat today after school but she just left me there."

She hoped that had covered all grounds and had explained her side well enough. When she remembered one more thing, she quickly spoke. "But I cleaned everything up really good and made sure to throw everything away in our neighbors trash can so you and dad wouldn't get in trouble by the garbage man!"

She held her breath. Sakura was silent for a long moment, deciding how she wanted to handle this situation. The problem wasn't with Sarada, by any means, it sounded like it was all stemming from wanting acceptance from her friend who seemed to "know all". Well, Sakura couldn't be too upset because it already happened and passed, so she wanted to focus on the here and now.

"Thank you for telling me, Sarada." She said, "That's really mature of you to tell me, I really appreciate your honesty." Sarada let out a breath of relief. "But, I can't say I'm not disappointed in your choices."

Sarada's heart sank. "I know."

"It's such a confusing age you're at, everyone wants to be liked and accepted and popular, but you can't compromise who you are for your friends." Sakura runs her hand down Sarada's cheek. "I think you and Chocho need some time apart, it doesn't sound like she's been a very good friend to you lately."

"But mom, she's my only friend! And if it weren't for her guys would never talk to me."

Sakura smiled. "Inojin's mother and I were best friends, we were a lot like you and Chocho. But when she started dating Sai, the same thing happened. I was mad at her for a while, but eventually she came and apologized for leaving me for a boy. It's normal, Chocho is learning just as much as you are. You don't need a friend to be complete, you're just as confident and pretty as she is."

"Yeah, but she's better at it." Sarada huffed. Sakura chuckled.

"Try being by yourself for a while, you'll find out how much more people are attracted to you. Think about it, if you always have friends attached at your hip, who will want to approach you and try to get to know you? It's a lot more intimidating."

For some reason, Boruto immediately popped into her mind. He was always surrounded by friends, boys or girls, there wasn't a time she'd seen him that he wasn't. He had a case of herd mentality.

"Yeah, you're right." She sighed.

"But we will have to tell your father eventually," Sakura said seriously, "do you want to talk to him tonight?"

Sarada shook her head furiously. "Can you do it for me?"

"No, that's something you need to do. He cares about you, he'd want it to come from you."

Sarada let out a shaky breath. "Okay...can you at least break it to him then? Like, cushion it a little so when I do tell him he doesn't lock me in my room for ten years?"

"Sure, that's something I can do." She said. Sarada gave her mother a hug, what did she ever do to deserve her?

"Thanks, mom."

"I love you, Sarada. You don't have to lie to us, your dad can be strict but he was also your age too and did some stupid things himself." She smiled. "Tomorrow will be much better."

Sarada nodded in agreement, then headed to bed.


	3. III: Miserable Fate

Sarada's phone had been blowing up with texts all morning. Chocho was apologizing profusely, saying she forgot about their tradition and it was her fault, that it was so selfish and horrible of her, and realized she let a boy get between them. While Sarada appreciated the sentiment, she couldn't find it in herself to face her quite yet. It didn't feel genuine. When Chocho asked her if she still wanted a ride, Sarada answered, _No, my uncle is taking me. Thank you though. _And she got no response back.

She was at her locker when Metal, Shikadai, and Inojin approached her. She looked at them while grabbing her modern history textbook.

"Sarada, how are you feeling today?" Metal asked.

"Better," She said, smiling. He was so sweet to come and check in with her. "How was track yesterday?"

"Good, I was the fastest runner there! All my training this summer paid off, so hopefully I will make it on the team!"

Sarada's eyes lit up. "No way, that's so awesome, Metal! What about you, Inojin, are you entering the art fair this year?"

"It's not for a while, but probably." He said, "You know Himawari? We're doing a collaboration together."

"She's still in middle school though, isn't she?" Sarada asked. Inojin nodded.

"Yeah, but since she's coming here next year she's going to fill out a form to get permission to enter it with me."

"Wow, that'll be fun! What about you, Shikadai?"

He shrugged. "Clubs are too much of a drag."

"He's part of the Go-Home Club," Metal whispered in her ear.

"Yeah, his mom almost beat his ass last night when he showed up early!" Boruto's entrance was grand and loud, and Shikadai rolled his eyes. Sarada grabbed the strap of her satchel stiffly.

"You weren't even there, how do you know?"

"Dude, your mom is scary as hell. She punted you and your dad into the backyard with one swing of her fist."

Shikadai sighed. "You're exaggerating."

"Me? Never!" He said dramatically, loudly cackling after.

People were staring, but that was no surprise.

Soon, a whole group of boys were crowding around Boruto, and Sarada quickly excused herself away from the scene. She saw Chocho from the corner of her eye and hid behind a mass of students, and watched as she pranced right up to Boruto and placed a kiss on his cheek. Sarada swore her and Chocho made eye contact, but Chocho flat out ignored her. So that's how it was going to be then. Apologies and begging for forgiveness over text then complete disregard in person.

Apparently, what happened in homeroom yesterday hadn't been enough torture, and the girls were now_ really _starting to magnetize to Boruto. Like ducks to bread, it was sad watching how desperate they were fighting over him, but no matter. Sarada decided last night at the park she wasn't going to let it bother her. She was going to make this year the best it could be! She was going to get impeccable grades, finish her homework early, push out of her comfort zone, and make as many new friends as she could, and certainly not let Boruto Uzumaki ruin it for her.

"Boruto, your tie looks really nice." One girl said.

"Your uniform looks good on you!"

"Your hair is styled so cute today."

If Sarada could roll her eyes any further back she would. He was soaking up the compliments like a sponge, cockiness radiating off of him like a furnace. Why Mitsuki, Inojin, and Metal didn't say anything while they were sitting right next to him was beyond her. No one ever seemed to have the guts to call him out.

"Thank you ladies, you're all so kind!" He adjusted his blazer.

"Okay class, settle down." Mr. Aburame entered and closed the door behind him. He held a stack of papers in his hands and shuffled them as everyone found their seats. "Happy Thursday. We'll jump right into it. Today, we are going to vote for our class representatives today."

Sarada took in a deep, confident breath. She was going to do it. She would volunteer and become a class representative this year!

Mr. Aburame looked through his papers. "So, starting with boys, anyone who would like to first volunteer, go ahead."

Immediately, Boruto shot straight up.

"Me!"

Sarada's mouth fell open.

"Alright, Boruto, come to the front. Any others?"

No one stood. Sarada felt her whole body running cold. _No _way. No, no, no, no, no freaking way this was happening right now. She hadn't told _anyone_ she was going to volunteer for the student council, it had been a mere passing thought yesterday until she's finalized her decision today. It was the best option to get _away _from Boruto, she had assumed, because last year he had played soccer! And now he was volunteering for student council!

Sarada was _begging_ another boy to stand up, she didn't care who! Just please God let _anyone_ else run against him so she could vote for them instead! Of course Boruto would go and do the exact one thing she had finally made up her mind to do – Christ almighty this year was going to be _miserable_.

Mr. Aburame nodded when it was silent. "By the raise of hands, are there any opposed?"

Nothing.

"Alright, wonderful. Now, any girl volunteers?"

Sarada looked around the classroom frantically. Even the obsessive girls were smart enough to know that even if they volunteered to be a class rep, it was stressful and took a lot of work, dedication, and required lots of after school prepping, and not even spending extra time with Boruto was worth it if they didn't actually want it. And now, Sarada didn't even want it anymore either.

"No one?" Mr. Aburame muttered. "Then, does someone want to make a suggestion?"

It was silent again. Everyone was glancing around the room. The big debate was who was the most intelligent, responsible, and qualified for the job. Sarada pressed her hands to her temples. Namida, or Wasabi, or someone decent should stand up, so Sarada would at least be confident their class was in good hands.

Finally, the class turned to one hand raised in the air. Mr. Aburame nodded. Metal stood up.

"I would like to nominate Sarada Uchiha, sir!"

There was a series of gasps and whispers across the room, but Sarada's was the most prominent. Metal looked over and gave her a thumbs up. She wanted to curl in a ball and die.

"Alright, are there any opposed to Metal's suggestion?" Mr. Aburame said, and Sarada could see a few girls squirming in their chairs. They wanted to battle against her, but again, all the work with being a class representative wasn't worth spending extra time with Boruto. So no one raised their hands.

"Sarada, come up here."

Sarada was a deer in headlights. The amount of eyes she felt on her back as she scraped her feet to the front of the classroom to plant them next to Boruto was sickening. Her stomach felt like a whirlpool of nausea.

"Boruto Uzumaki and Sarada Uchiha have been chosen to be your class representatives for the year. One last call, is anyone opposed?"

Again, nothing.

"Okay then, the vote is unanimous." Mr. Aburame said, fixing his glasses. "Welcome, class reps!"

The whole class repeated, "welcome, class reps!" and Sarada almost fell over and fainted.

She was a class representative. With Boruto Uzumaki.

This couldn't be real.

It wasn't until the bell rang to signify homeroom was over, that Sarada finally heard what she had been expecting. The girl's were speaking in hushed tones on the other side of the room as Sarada gathered her books.

"At least Sarada is ugly so we don't have to worry about her." One of the girls said. "I would've volunteered if being a class rep wasn't so miserable!"

"Me too," Another one said. "She doesn't even like Boruto. What a waste!"

"All that time I could've spent with him." Another girl sighed.

Sarada just continued to organize her bag, ignoring the shame burning in the pit of her stomach. The classroom was empty by now, so their voices echoed through the room.

As Sarada rose to leave, she bumped into one of the girls. "Excuse me," She said moving to the side, but the girl blocked her way.

"You may be smart but that's all you have going for you! Don't think Boruto would ever like someone like you." She said. Sarada scowled.

"That's great, because I hate him anyway." She said, trying to get past her once again.

"You think you're better than us?" The second girl pushed Sarada from behind. "How dare you say that!"

"I can't believe someone like you is going to be the class rep with him!" The other girl got in Sarada's face, and she shoved her away.

"I didn't choose this, you had every opportunity to raise your hand and oppose! I'm the class rep now whether you like it or not, and I can either make your life _real _easy or difficult now." Sarada said.

One girl kicked Sarada's satchel to the side, then the second one pushed her back. She lost her balance and fell to the floor, and the third girl stepped on her hair. When she tried to get back up, the girl yanked her down, and her glasses fell to the floor.

"You wouldn't be much of a class rep without these," The first girl took Sarada's textbook and dropped it atop her glasses, blinking with an innocent smile. "Oops."

They left after that, and Sarada picked up her textbook as a tear slipped down her cheek. Her classes were crooked, but not broken. She sniffled and shoved her things to the side.

"Sarada?" Shikadai asked, suddenly appearing in the doorway. "What happened?"

Sarada desperately scrambled to her knees at the sight of him. She didn't want to let him see her like this, and even more so when Boruto peeked his head around the doorway. Quickly hiding her face behind her disheveled hair, she wiped her nose and began picking up her things.

"N-Nothing, I'm fine."

Shikadai was bent down next to her moments later while Boruto still stood in the doorway. There was no point in trying to hide her frustrated tears that were unceasing, and Shikadai wasn't a bad guy. It was just she hated that _Boruto_ was seeing her like this.

"What happened?" Shikadai asked again.

"A girl pushed me." She said, sweeping her hand against the floor to feel for any small pieces that might've fallen from her glasses. Shikadai narrowed his eyes.

"Boruto, go get a broom."

Boruto didn't move, his eyes were stuck on Sarada and her broken glasses. After a few beats, Shikadai looked back.

"Boruto."

He scoffed. "Maaaan, this is stupid. Go get the broom yourself." He threw his hands behind his head, then began walking away. Sarada felt her insides boil. She stood to her feet.

"This is _your_ fault!" She exclaimed. Boruto stopped in his tracks. "Your stupid obsessive girlfriends did this! First you stole Chocho from me, you and all your stupid friends trashed my house, you insulted me, and you don't even care!"

Boruto frowned. "Why are you blaming me? You don't make it easy for people to like you, so why _would_ anyone care?"

With swift steps, Sarada grabbed the front of his shirt. Her hair was disheveled, teeth were grit, breath shallow, eyes so bloodshot and full of intense anger they almost looked bright red. Boruto felt anxiety thudding in his chest, he'd _never_ seen the sweet and peaceful girl in front of him so angry before.

"I. Hate you. Boruto Uzumaki." She pronounced every syllable so clearly it sank in. "I hate you."

Her eyes pierced into his soul. Her grip on him loosened and he stumbled to the side. She grabbed her shoulder bag and walked out of the door, leaving her dejected glasses lying on the floor. Shikadai sighed.

"Bro. You suck."

Boruto glared at him.

**XxX**

The next day rumors were flying. Chocho kept trying to find Sarada but she was avoiding her. Shikadai also popped his head into their homeroom to see if Sarada was alright, and while she appreciated his kindness, she just wanted the whole situation to blow past. There were death glares sent from both parties as Sarada and Boruto walked past each other in the halls, and unfortunately they had French class together, so even _more_ time they were in the same vicinity.

The three girls had been ratted out, and they were suspended when Sarada was called into the office to testify. Boruto had caught wind of it and vaguely wondered if she was going to pin the blame on him, so between lunches he lingered around the door, playing it off cool.

Finally, Sarada exited with an exhausted demeanor, until she saw Boruto. Then she narrowed her eyes.

"What do you want?"

"Just here to make sure you didn't fuck more shit up." He said, shoving his hands in his pockets. What an unpleasant person.

Sarada flared her nostrils. "If I did, you'll be hearing from Headmaster Tsunade."

As she walked away, Boruto grabbed her elbow.

"What is your problem? Why are you trying to get me in trouble when it was those girls who did it? I had nothing to do with it!"

Sarada yanked out of his grip. "You're so stupid. I'm not unreasonable! Your name wasn't mentioned anywhere, idiot, now leave me alone."

She walked away and was soon engulfed by the crowds. Boruto faltered. She...didn't say anything about him? But why, when she literally was blaming him for it yesterday? It didn't make sense. He bit on the inside of his cheek. She _had_ to have said something; a girl as crazy obsessed with justice as her wouldn't let it slip.

In student council, Monday's and Tuesday's were just their homeroom meetings, Wednesday's and Thursday's were with all the other homeroom classes, and Friday's was with all the teacher's in the faculty lounge. And since today was Wednesday, it gave Sarada an excuse to sit tables away from Boruto.

He kept staring at her throughout the entire meeting and it was pissing her off. Her mechanical pencil was definitely feeling her irritation. Sumire, having been chosen as the other homeroom's girl representative, glanced at Sarada.

"Hey, are you alright?"

"Yeah, just fine." She drew swirls on her paper.

Once everyone was dismissed for the night, Sarada went to her locker to grab her textbooks. She already had so much homework it was unbelievable. This week had already drained all the energy out of her.

When she shut her locker, she jumped with a gasp. Boruto was leaning on the locker next to hers patiently.

"Are you stalking me now?" She snapped. He raised an eyebrow.

"Gross, no. I've just been trying to figure out all day whether you ratted me out or not, since you didn't really give me a straight up answer this morning."

Sarada rolled her eyes. "Why would it matter if I did or not?"

"You can't be on the student council and have a mark against you, _idiot_." He mocked her tone from earlier. "You know this. If I got in trouble, I'd be kicked off."

"That actually sounds great." Sarada said, and Boruto rolled his eyes.

"You're so annoying. Just tell me if you said my name to Headmaster Tsunade or not!"

"Why, Boruto? So you can feel better that you won't get in trouble? Because you _really _want to be on the student council _so_ bad?"

Boruto stared at her, keeping his temper inside. He let out an aggravated sigh and ran a hand through his hair, defeated. She was going to be stubborn about this, guess he'd take his punishment if it came. Can't say he didn't try though.

"Whatever. Fuck off."

He stormed away, and Sarada clenched her fists. Absolutely infuriating.

School was still full of rumors. Sarada and Boruto avoided each other like the plague, and only when they needed to fulfill student council duties would they be seen together. After deeming it way too difficult to deal with each other, they brought it to Mr. Aburame that they no longer wanted to continue working together, because the tension was making it awkward for the other members of the student council. Mr. Aburame simply adjusted his glasses, asked which one of them was going to resign, and they had both looked at each other blankly. Neither Sarada or Boruto were going to give it up, so thus were forced to cooperate.

In front of everyone else, they seemed great. But behind closed doors, they loathed every moment.

It wasn't until they started planning for their famous Fall Festival that Sarada noticed a change in attitude from Boruto. Instead of being ridden with the boredom of paperwork, he was invested. The decorations, the placements of booths, each class theme, the music, the colors, and volunteers was something he was actively involved in. It really changed the way they interacted with each other, for Sarada finally felt like she could _talk_ to him and listen, and not hear nails on a chalkboard every time he spoke.

Rumors about Boruto even started to dwindle due to his lack of investment in anything else. Chocho was still actively trying to date him and follow him around, but his interest in her had significantly lessened. They still hung out after school, and Sarada _definitely_ heard about it from Chocho's friends who sat right behind her in homeroom, but when they were at school Boruto paid her no attention. It was interesting to see Boruto aside from his usual persona – that is, cocky and surrounded by girls. He was just behind normal, and it was weird.

Boruto and Sarada were sitting in the classroom in silence, reading through the rules and regulations for the science fair portion for the fall festival. Things had settled to neutral between them – but still not a day went by without him pissing her off in some way. So they weren't on bad terms, per se, but Sarada definitely would not be spending her free time with him if she didn't have to.

The clock was hanging from the wall, ticking away to a rhythmic beat, the sun was setting through the window, streams of orange light bouncing across the desk and walls, and Sarada was almost finished but Boruto wasn't even halfway done with his pile. He slammed his pen on the desk.

"Gahh, this is so boring!"

"You wanted this." Sarada said complacently. Boruto scoffed.

"Yeah, but not _this_ much paperwork."

Sarada rolled her eyes. "What did you expect? Should've joined a sport instead."

"My dad played football and I'd only be known as his son, not my own name. So no thanks." He muttered.

Sarada was confused. "I hear he was an incredible athlete, though. I thought you wanted to follow in your dad's footsteps."

It was said more as a question than a statement, but Boruto gave her an annoyed look.

"I want to do the exact opposite. That's why I picked this." He said.

Sarada was surprised. She always assumed Boruto was a mini Naruto – ranging all the way from the looks and attitude straight down to abilities and intellect. With their parents always having been friends and their kids being so close in age, her, Boruto, and Himawari practically grew up together. Their families had Christmas Eve dinner every year since they were little, so she must've never really paid attention. Now, it seemed like he almost disliked, no, _hated_ his father just by the way he spoke.

"Why?"

Boruto gave her a glare. "It's none of your business. Stick your glasses back in those papers, a big nose doesn't suit you."

Sarada's face flamed up in frustration. How rude! Just when she was starting to feel like her and Boruto were somewhat getting along, he always ruined it.

"Finish these for me. I'm going home." Boruto pushed away from the desk, the chair unattractively screeching, and threw his shoulder bag strap over his head. Sarada gaped.

"No you are not! The fall festival is this Friday and we need to be as prepared as we can!" She raced to the door and stood in front of it. Boruto sneered.

"Move."

"No. It's your duty as one of the class representatives to help our teachers and our classmates! We need to have all this paperwork done by tomorrow! They're counting on us."

"You seem to be doing just fine by yourself." He said, ducking under her arm and casually shoving his hands in his pockets. Sarada tripped out of the classroom.

"Hey!"

He was unresponsive. The soles of his dress shoes clacked on the tile and he moved farther and farther away. She felt her chest burn with anger.

"I didn't have to agree to stay on the student council with you, I could've resigned so I wouldn't have to deal with you anymore! There's not _one_ nice thing you've ever done for me and I'm just trying to make this work for everyone! You're nothing like your father. In fact he's probably glad you're not following his footsteps."

Boruto immediately stopped. He whipped his head around, his gaze burning with intense rage, but Sarada held her composure. He didn't scare her.

"You're absolutely right. I _hate_ my father. I'll do everything to not be titled as his son."

The statement was surprising, but Sarada held her ground regardless. "Trying to prove a point to your dad by letting down your classmates will do nothing. If you want to show him how lazy and irresponsible and entitled you are, go tell him yourself! But punishing me and everyone else won't do anything when he's not even here. You're just a _coward_ who is too scared to be held to a high standard because you don't want people to expect things from you!"

Suddenly the gap between them was closed. Boruto wasn't touching her, but with how incredibly overpowering his rage was, Sarada felt like he was choking her. She was pinned flat against the door with Boruto's face only inches from her.

"You think I'm a coward?" He snarled.

Sarada didn't respond. Her behind her back her hands were trembling, but her face held no fear. Eventually after a long, intense moment, Boruto's fiery demeanor calmed. He let out a long breath.

"You are _such_ a pain in the ass." He said, and went back into the classroom. Sarada was confused by his sudden change in attitude, and after a moment of regaining her composure, peered back into the room. Boruto had discarded his bag to the side and was reading through each paper, his chin propped on one hand and his legs crossed. He looked so scholarly – something Sarada hadn't ever seen before.

"Just finish your damn papers and I'll walk you home." He grumbled. Sarada blinked, then joined him in the desk adjacent to his.

**XxX**

After he walked her home Sarada remembered one last thing she had to give him for the Fall Festival before they were completely done. She led him up to her room, and gave him the last required permission slip for the carnival booths, and he was on his way.

So the next day, Sarada didn't see much of Boruto. They were so busy running errands for their teachers back and forth and setting up for the Fall Festival that the only time Sarada caught a glimpse of him at the end of the day at his locker with his group. He had a folder of papers in his hand, which seemed rather odd since they had finished all their paperwork, and she approached him. All his surrounding friends gave her a strange look.

"Can I talk to you?" She said, not giving a single ink of attention to everyone around him. He looked at her, then glanced around to all his friends.

"Um, do I know you?"

"Yes, actually, you were in my bedroom last night. So come along now." Sarada blinked diplomatically, then left without another word. His whole group of friends 'oooh'd' and Boruto's expression was priceless. He slammed his locker shut and followed hot on her heels.

"What the _hell?_" He yanked her by the elbow. "Why did you have to say that in front of everyone? It wasn't even like that, I literally picked up permission slips!"

Sarada shrugged. Boruto's expression contorted into a quite obvious look of annoyance, and she ignored it. She looked to his hands. "What are those papers? We finished everything last night."

Boruto looked massively irritated, but he kept his composure. "They're for the art exhibit."

Sarada stared at him questionably. They've never had an art exhibit at the Fall Festival, so she was confused.

He shifted uncomfortably. "My sister wanted one...so I spent all day talking to the headmaster getting permission, and she said if I found enough people to showcase art then Hima could put hers up too. Just shut up and leave me alone about it, okay?"

As he walked away, Sarada could only stare in his direction. How...strangely sweet of him. It filled her heart with a warmth she'd never associated with him before. This was a different side of him he hardly showed anyone. He really did have a soft spot for his sister, it was apparent. Going to all that work just for her was the most selfless thing he'd ever done...publicly.

Even though it felt like they had become neutral – yet still with a slight distaste – towards each other, Sarada still felt wary of him. The way that he so easily strung along Chocho then would ignore her, then go back to her when he was in the mood was shady. Not to mention, Sarada often heard other girls still talking about Boruto behind his back, saying what he did to them or how good it was, and recently, too.

But then, to see him in the sunset after school hours looking so bored, calm, and nothing like how girls played him out to be, really made Sarada question who he was. To everyone, he was intimidating, sexy, athletic, thrived on attention, powerful, and no one messed with him. But to Sarada, the person she saw in front of her had a big attitude and temper, but still had an untamable fire behind his eyes and couldn't pick a damn personality.

The rest of the days blurred by. By Thursday night, stress was at an all time high and Boruto and Sarada got in an argument about placements of decorations in the gym, worker schedules, and it got so bad that Sarada threw an extra stack of flyers at him and stormed out of the room.

He yelled profanities after her and kicked a desk. Who gave a fuck about a stupid Fall Festival anyway. Sarada was just being ridiculous. She _always_ wanted everything _her_ way and never gave a damn about his opinion! Whatever entitlement she thought _he_ had paled drastically in comparison to having an Uchiha's ego on the line. It definitely was hereditary.

Boruto picked up the flyers in a slowly dissipating rage and stacked them all neatly together. Some of them were bent, but not bad enough to where he had to throw them away. Whoever said being a class rep _and_ a main role in the decoration committee was a good time lied. Boruto hated this. He hated Sarada, he hated her pretentious, bratty, know-it-all attitude. Being a spoiled only child was obviously her only personality trait.

Nevertheless, he still had a job to do, so he went to every classroom and put small bundles of papers on each teacher's desk. Tomorrow, he'd be spending his whole Friday night switching between checking off booth cleanliness, ensuring sure students showed up to their shift, making sure visitors respected their school grounds, cleaning up trash, _and_ dealing with Sarada's nagging, and it really made him want to get run over by a bus. If he could opt out yesterday, he would've.

In the next classroom, there was already a stack of papers on the desk, and Boruto raised a brow. Either he was losing his mind and had already come in here, or there was a ghost haunting him. There had always been rumors and stories that their school was haunted. He heard footsteps in the hallway and swirled around, his heart pounding, but it was only Sarada. She had her head down, flyers in her arms. His defenses dropped.

"I'm sorry." She said, bashfully rocking back and forth on her feet. "I should take what you say more seriously. Your opinion is important too." Her gaze flicked upwards, and by the glistening look in her eyes, Boruto knew she was being genuine. He sighed. Knowing her, saying that was bruising her ego, so he had to at least give her some credit.

"You really need to stop thinking you have to do everything by yourself. There's three other classes, all with class reps like us. You can count on all of us too." Boruto set his hand on top of Sarada's head. She let out a soft breath and leaned into his touch. It was so...inviting.

"So just chill out once in a while, you'll get wrinkles." He scrunched his eyes as he got closer to her face, which made Sarada's cheeks heat up. What was he doing?

"Mhm, I was right. I see a new wrinkle right there."

He got a face full of papers for that, and he only cackled as Sarada stormed off embarrassed.


	4. IV: Fall Festival

Boruto and Sarada showed up bright and early Friday morning with the other class representatives to finalize everything for the festival, then were excused for the day. The two had been put in charge of the gymnasium, while the others were put in charge of monitoring the booths, greeting at the front, or just anywhere help was needed. Sarada was so excited. Anyone and everyone could come walk through and see all the hard work she put into this. She was even more excited that her parents would get to see it.

When Sarada got home, Sakura revealed that she had bought Sarada a new little black sleeveless dress with a peter pan collar. Sarada felt cute with her long extensions curled, bangs pinned back, and her mary jane heels buckled.

Being late September, it was only slightly chilled. Unfortunately Sasuke and Sakura couldn't take a walk through due to some ambiguous business meeting much to her disappointment, so they dropped Sarada off and she headed towards the gym. The music was just starting up and she spotted Mr. Aburame across the room. Once getting her assignment to patrol the gymnasium and surrounding hallways, she did so and waited patiently for Boruto. She checked the time. He was late.

Apparently, showing up tipsy with his group of friends to the dance was cooler than coming when he was supposed to, and Sarada was livid. She saw him wobbling in with Iwabee, Denki, and the rest of his squad, and yanked him off to the side. He yelped.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?! Where have you been?"

"Pre-gaming, damn." Boruto scowled, but he laughed. "Calm your tits, just lemme have some fun first then I'll come help you."

"No. No, no, _no_ way you're making me do this all by myself. Once our duties are over you can get as shitfaced as you want, but _you_, Boruto Uzumaki, are not doing this to me tonight. We had a deal!"

Boruto rolled his eyes dramatically and looked back at Iwabee. He gave him a sarcastic smile.

"I'll be right there."

His friends all shrugged and went into the gym already acting like idiots. Sarada kept her intense glare on Boruto and he looked back at her, slumped.

"You ruin everything fun in life. You fun sucker."

"Good." She said, "Now go tell Mr. Aburame you're here and your ass better be back here in five minutes."

"_O-kayyyyy_," Boruto rolled his eyes again, and dragged his feet into the gym. Sarada huffed. Dealing with a drunk Boruto all night would be quite the job. Being a class rep with him felt more like babysitting more than working as equals. He was so obnoxiously stupid.

Boruto came back, surprisingly, and Sarada made him stay put at the entrance while she patrolled around the halls. It was about a half hour in, so more people were starting to show up. Seniors, juniors, her grade, and freshmen, and even outsiders who just wanted to walk through to see the festival were scattered everywhere. Her main job was to watch out for any shady activity inside the school and the gymnasium, while Boruto stamped peoples hands. Being tipsy, he was more than capable of doing that, so she hoped he was at least living up to the bare minimal expectations.

After an hour passed, she was relieved from patrol duty, and when she went to go get Boruto, she saw he was gone. Scrunching her brows, she checked in the gym. He wasn't there. Looking around, she spotted Denki and Inojin, and approached them. They turned to her, a smile on Denki's face with a cup of punch in his hands, while Inojin looked more neutral.

"Do you know where Boruto is?" She asked them above the music. Denki shook his head while Inojin blinked deliberately. Sarada eyed him.

"Last I heard he was in the homeroom class." Inojin said.

Sarada turned on her heels. Inojin quickly grabbed her arm.

"Sarada–wait. I just...wouldn't go in there."

"Why not?" She shot back.

Inojin looked conflicted. "Just...don't get any closer to Boruto than you need to, okay? Trust me."

She kept her curious gaze on him. After all, it was common knowledge that Inojin and Himawari spent a lot of time together, so he was around Boruto more often than she was. So maybe there was something he knew that Sarada didn't, or was trying to prevent her from seeing.

Whatever it was, she didn't have any type of romantic feelings for Boruto, she already knew he was a terrible person, they'd never associated their entire lives besides being part of the student council, so she honestly didn't care. She had to put up with him anyway, it wasn't like she chose to spend time with him willingly. She wouldn't be looking for him otherwise.

"Thanks for the warning, but he's a student here too, and it's my job as class rep to make sure everyone is safe and following the rules."

Inojin gave her a look, and with confidence, Sarada walked away. Denki simply frowned.

**XxX**

Walking down the dark halls was more nerve wracking than Sarada had anticipated. Usually a place filled with so much noise, light, and laughter that was now dark and abandoned gave her an eerie chill up her spine. She peered into every classroom just to make sure they were empty, but all she was met with was darkness. It wasn't until she got to her own homeroom that she heard chattering and laughter. She spotted Boruto through the crack in the door, but he wasn't alone. He was surrounded by girls and some boys from his friend group. She pressed her ear closer to the door to listen in.

"No, no, no, you guys got it wrong." Boruto slurred, shaking his hand, his feet perched up onto the desk. His suit coat was fully undone, as were the top buttons of his collared shirt. His face was a rosy red color, and his voice sounded raspy. "I only was in there to get a paper from her house for the student council, I swear. She's such a _nightmare_ sometimes. Like, I throw in one suggestion and it's immediately shot down, like what the hell? Last time I checked I was a class rep, too."

Sarada's blood went cold. Was he talking about _her_?

"God, she's so annoying." One of the girls said. "She's literally a wannabe copy of Chocho. She like, invented her. Chocho was right to dump her ass."

"And dear lord, does she bitch a _lot_." Another boy said. "I was wearing my tie a little too loose and she almost reported me to the headmaster. How do you deal with all that?"

"Y'know, sometimes I just wanna be like, aye, Sarada, shut the fuck up and suck my dick for once like a normal girl." Boruto said with a slurred accent, and everyone laughed.

"Oh my God, she seems like such a slut I bet she'd love that." One girl sneered.

"Yeah, but with her experience? I wouldn't." Boruto said, and everyone burst into giggles.

"Is she a virgin?" Another boy asked.

"Um, have you _seen_ her? Who would want to tap that?" Another girl said. Boruto cackled.

"Guys, it's only a matter of time before–" Boruto trailed off as his gaze fell to the door. Sarada was there, expression completely straight, and he quickly sat upright, his heart pounding. The adrenaline suddenly made him feel sober. Everyone looked at him curiously, their gazes trailing to the door, and once they took notice of her too, they all had absolute terror etched on their faces.

Boruto stuttered, "S-Sarada–"

"I came to relieve you of our shift. You're free to do whatever now." She said evenly, then turned on her heel and walked down the hall. Boruto was petrified in his spot.

"...that's it?" One girl said quietly. Everyone looked uneasy. Boruto couldn't breathe.

"I'll be right back." He stated, and as he stood up, a girl grabbed his wrist.

"Why? She's not even worth it. Just sit back down and have another drink, she'll get over it."

He scowled and yanked from her grip. "Don't tell me what to do."

Stumbling out of the room, he slammed the door shut behind him. Everyone was dead silent.

Once in the hallway, Boruto broke out into a run. Oh God he was so drunk. Everything was moving and wobbly, but he _had_ to fix this. He shouldn't have said any of that. He took it way too far. He was drunk, trying to be a comedian, and his lips got too loose. He made a _huge_ mistake. Yes, working with Sarada could be extremely frustrating and it tested his patience, but he _never_ viewed her as he did other girls. She was different, she was special, and he had fucked it all up once again.

He was used to roasting and insulting his friends like that with no shame, but with Sarada it was different. Recently spending so much time with her, he felt like they'd gotten to know each other more, thus he learned more about her; which included insecurities, general pet peeves, and other quirks. So only _he_ was allowed to make fun of her. No one else could bully his bully property. But, joking around like that with that specific topic hurt Sarada's feelings and he _knew_ that. So why had he been such a casual idiot about it? Especially to a bunch of people he already knew didn't like her?

"Sarada!" He shouted, and he heard footsteps down the hall quicken. With his inebriated state, it made it hard to run, but Sarada's shoes clacked on the tile floor in front of him and he knew he was close. Up two flights of stairs and at a dead end, Boruto was lost. She had disappeared.

There was a cool breeze from the last classroom to his left, and he fell inside. The window was open, and he heard Sarada crying. She was hunched over at a desk, her shoulders trembling up and down. He approached her tentatively. His mind was completely fuzzy, and Sarada's movements all seemed to blend together.

"Sarada…"

"Go. Away."

"N–No, Sarada, listen," Boruto held his hand out to her shaking frame. He slapped his face to bring himself back into the present. "God, I'm such–I'm an idiot, I didn't mean any of that–"

"So nothing new, right?" Sarada turned around, her gaze burning into him. He bumped into the desk behind him as he flinched back. "Just another day of Boruto Uzumaki shamelessly tearing down girls to put them in their place, because they're just objects to him. Disrespecting _everyone_ he knows so he can stay on top. _God_," Sarada pressed her palms to her eyes. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Boruto felt his insides burning with shame, also with nausea.

"I-I know, and I'm...so sorry. So, so sorry. I don't–I just, I don't know why I was saying those things. I was trying to be funny...and, you're just so _different_ I don't know how to deal with you."

"You think you're being funny by mocking and making fun of me? Because I deserve it, right? I've done and said terrible things to get me into this position." She shot upright out of the desk. Boruto shook his head slowly, squeezing his hands against his head.

"No...you really haven't. I–I swear I didn't mean any of it–"

"So then why _did_ you say it?" She cried. "How could you say such terrible things about people behind their backs if you don't mean it? What made you this way, Boruto? Because the person I know after school during student council with just me is _nothing_ like this person standing in front of me. _This," _Sarada gestured to him, "isn't who you are, and _you_ know that, _I_ know that, for God's sake!"

Boruto reached out. "Sarada–"

She took a step back. "Don't touch me."

He flinched back, and his hand dropped to his side.

"I don't give a _damn_ about what you said about _me_." Venomous disdain laced every word Sarada spoke. "What I do give a damn about, is how you hurt people for no reason. You'll sit here and say horrible things about someone when the whole time you were giving them t-shirts to sleep in, walking them home at night, carrying the heavier stacks of paper, opening up and doing all these _little_ things that make you seem vulnerable, then you turn around and say you don't know me, you make fun of me for no reason, you steal my best friend from me, and, and–"

She broke down into tears, and Boruto immediately reached out and hugged her tightly. Her hair was so soft. But his heart was aching. _He_ caused this. Someone with a heart of absolute gold was trying to see the best in someone as terrible and evil as him, and had gotten too close, and was burned. Not even a little blister burn, but a third degree burn. All because he was too scared to let anyone in, and Sarada had tried _so_ hard to give him the benefit of the doubt after everything, he still let her down. He'd hurt her because he couldn't trust himself.

Her initial breakdown ceased, and she pushed him away harshly. Boruto stumbled back into a desk, and Sarada went to leave the room. He quickly chased after her, grabbing her arm but she yanked out of his grip.

"Let go of me!"

"Wait, no, please talk to me–"

"I don't need to talk to someone who can't even be honest with himself." She said. "Who _are_ you, Boruto? Because pretending to be..._this..._won't get you real." Her tone lessened. "Stop giving me special treatment if you're not going to do the same for others."

Boruto was stuck in his spot as she walked away. What was he supposed to do? After all of that, she was right, so how would he fix this?

He went into the hall, where he could see Sarada's silhouette still walking away.

"I swear I wasn't always like this." His voice was weak. Sarada's footsteps faltered. "We never talked or associated growing up; I–I don't remember saying anything more than hi to you at our family dinners. But that's because I kept to myself! My dad was a drunk. So I had to raise Himawari when my mom left us. And I didn't want anyone to know."

Sarada slowly turned her head, blinking in shock. Boruto continued, his fists shaking by his side. No...Sarada didn't want this, not right now. He was drunk, he was vulnerable, and she just yelled at him...

"If Hima did wrong, my dad beat the shit out of me, because I should've taught her better. And it made me hate my dad, because he was the _father_, why couldn't he do the parenting? Why did he have to be an alcoholic? Why did my mom leave and not take us with her? When my mom came back, she kicked my dad out, and people started to find out. I got bullied and made fun of for being raised by my mom and having a deadbeat dad."

Sarada had completely turned around, but hadn't yet moved from her spot. Boruto's took a deep breath.

"I–I do this so I don't get _hurt_." He was getting emotional, which was rare. He hardly ever opened up like this, let alone felt his eyes getting teary. He didn't remember the last time he'd cried. The emotions were going to burst. "Because, because the more _I_ hurt people, the less they'll want to try and hurt me back. They're scared of me! I use things against people to keep them in their place so they can't throw my shitty excuse for a dad back in my face. I _hate_ my dad for everything he's put my mom and sister through!"

Sarada didn't say anything. The energy surrounding them was tense, almost suffocating, and Boruto looked like he was in shock. She honestly had no idea any of that had happened – maybe her parents had known, but as far back as she remembered Hinata and Naruto had happily come together to their Christmas Eve dinner every year. The flashbacks of the family walking through her front door with Boruto and Himawari in matching colors came to Sarada's mind, and her heart broke.

But, like Boruto said, just because everything looked picture perfect on the outside didn't mean it was on the inside too. No wonder he never talked to her while they were growing up. She had always been so close to him proximity wise, yet he had emotionally been eons away to protect his heart.

The pain and suffering he'd been through all made sense now as to why he acted out in the way he did. It all clicked together now like the final piece of the puzzle. Obviously, there was much more to it and he hadn't fully worked through it since the resentment was still pain-strikingly apparent, but for now, Sarada didn't want Boruto to talk anymore. She just wanted to comfort him and praise him for being so open, vulnerable, and brave. A myriad of conflicting emotions was rampaging inside of her, but all she knew right now was to be a good person, and comfort him the way he always comforted her.

Approaching him slowly, she wrapped her arms around his torso, squeezing tightly. His body felt like ice, and he was shaking. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, his head fell into the juncture of her neck, and he cried.

Sarada held in her own emotions as the bright green exit sign glared in her peripheral, her eyes trailing up and down the ceiling tiles to keep herself still. She clenched Boruto's shirt in her hand, then let go and rubbed his back soothingly as his tears began to cease.

Boruto's tense shoulders loosened, his breathing regulated, and then she moved a hand to his damp cheek. He leaned into it and took a deep breath to calm himself. The dark circles under his eyes were prominent and his eyes were bloodshot, Sarada could tell as she stroked her thumb across his cheek bone. He felt so nauseous.

"I'm going to call my mom and she'll pick us up."

He complied immediately, and she helped him down the stairs to the entrance, stopping at a garbage can on the way down, and stood in the frigid cold until Sakura pulled up.

Sarada walked Boruto up to his porch since his feet seemed to be giving out underneath him. Hinata opened the door, and Sarada handed him off to her. She seemed genuinely worried about her son, and Sarada could now tell that they had a close bond that was only understood between both of them. She bid goodbye, and got back in the front seat of her mom's car. Sakura finally asked her how it went, and Sarada looked to her feet.

"I don't really know."

XxX

Saturday morning, Sarada had woken up much later than usual. She felt bad she had skipped out the closing fireworks show, as well as cleanup duty this morning, but there was no willpower in her to get up. Besides, as much as she did for the festival, she was sure she was off the hook.

Her weekend went by smoothly; she finished up any neglected homework, watched her favorite TV drama, helped her mom prepare the garden and swimming pool for winter, ran work errands with her dad, and got to sleep in and actually relax. She hadn't heard anything from Boruto, and was almost anxious to see what Monday would bring. Her mind had been constantly replaying their conversation Friday night. She couldn't get what he said about his childhood out of her mind, nor the fact that she had hugged him, and he cried in her arms.

Making sure her uniform was crisp and clean for Monday morning, she went to bed with questions swirling in her mind.

Nothing really seemed off the next morning as Sarada walked into the great hall. Everyone was standing around chatting like normal, and the large group of friends were surrounding Boruto's locker, but there was no Boruto. Sarada didn't let her gaze sit for too long before heading to her own locker to drop off her textbooks. After, she headed to the classroom to get it ready for Mr. Aburame.

Once the desks were all neat, the chalkboard was ready, and the blinds were drawn, Sarada sat in her desk, exhausted. The past week really knocked the spirit out of her. She needed a break.

Shikadai, Inojin, and Metal walked in early, and they all saw Sarada. Inojin quickly pushed past his friends.

"What happened at the festival?"

Sarada looked at him. "Huh?"

"Boruto went home with you, right? Why?"

Sarada looked at Shikadai and Metal curiousy. She wasn't going to say the part that he broke down and drunk cried in front of her. "I mean...he was talking with a bunch of people in the classroom, and he was drunk and didn't feel good so my mom picked us up. That's all that happened."

Shikadai raised a brow. "That is _not_ the story we heard."

And, oh boy. Sarada's anxieties skyrocketed but she kept her face emotionless. "Well, please tell me so at least I know what's being said."

The three boys all cast an unsure glance at each other, and Shikadai shoved his hands in his pockets with a sigh.

"One of the girls who was with him said you stormed in the room accusing him cheating on you with Chocho, and then you ran off crying and he went after you. Then she said she walked in on you guys smashing in the teachers lounge, and then he went home with you."

Oh my God. Where the literal hell did people come up with these things? Also, who had the time to create such terrible and fake rumors about someone? If this is what Boruto's daily life felt like, then it sucked. Having to walk into school everyday and learn something completely fake about himself had to take a toll. No wonder he was gone today.

"Yeah, I can assure you that did _not _happen." Sarada said, keeping and even gaze with him. "You have to remember Boruto and I hardly consider each other "friends"."

"Yeah, I know." Shikadai said blandly, then looked to the other two. "Where the hell were you two when this all went down?"

Inojin shrugged, and Metal looked guilty.

"I was working in a booth, I am sorry." Metal said.

"God," Shikadai pressed a hand against his forehead. "We're not supposed to leave him alone, remember? Where's Mitsuki?" Shikadai left, and Metal and Inojin sat down in their respective seats. The bell rang, and people started filing in one by one.

There were so many questions Sarada had that she didn't even know where to begin. Was the story about Naruto true? Why weren't his friends supposed to leave him alone? And if Inojin knew where Boruto was, why wasn't he there with him if it was such a big deal? Things weren't making sense again, and Sarada really needed to talk to Boruto. Not only to clear up the things he said about her – because drunk words were sober thoughts – but to really ask him what was going on.

After school, since the festival was over and Boruto was absent, Sarada was excused early. Wondering what she was going to do in her free time, she ran into Metal who was dressed in his track attire. Short shorts really weren't a good look on him.

"Sarada! I hope your day has been better and these rumors haven't gotten to you." Metal said. Sarada smiled.

"Honestly, I haven't heard a single thing all day."

Metal pursed his lips. "Unfortunately. I don't know how this one will fade out, but I trust and believe what you're saying. I know you are not that type of girl."

"Thanks, Metal." Sarada beamed. It meant a lot that someone as genuine and honest as Metal was on her side. Even if she had no alibi, having his support meant everything.

"Do you not have student council today?"

"No, so I was just going to go home. Though, with all this extra time I don't know what I'll do." She chuckled.

"Would you like to come watch my practice?" He asked. "We're doing pole vault today!"

As entertaining as that seemed, Sarada really just wanted to talk to Boruto and then rest. But, she supposed watching for an hour wouldn't hurt, and it would kill some time. So, she followed Metal to the track where she watched from the sidelines.

When it was Metal's turn, he gave her a thumbs up, gripping the pole in his hands. With great speed, he ran until he hooked the pole into the ground, then gracefully glided over the top pole. Everyone clapped as Metal landed on the padding below, and even Sarada was impressed. For how hard he worked, his results sure paid off.

With a quick break, he ran over to Sarada. She leaned against the fence between him as he took a swig of water.

"That was incredible." She laced her fingers between the metal fencing, and he grinned.

"That's the first time I've actually been able to do it right!" He laughed. "It must be because you were watching so I had to do good."

"Oh, come on." Sarada said. "You would've done great without or without me here. I'm glad I got to see it though!"

"Yes! Thank you for coming, your support means everything." He gave her a thumbs up. "And also, the festival turned out amazing! I didn't see you the rest of the night, but putting you on the decoration committee was the right choice."

She smiled. "Thank you, it really took a lot of work but I'm glad you noticed."

Metal was called back, and he dropped his water bottle and dashed back to the track. Sarada waved, and she was on her way. Her uncle Itachi was generous enough to pick her up today, so she waited for his car to pull up to the front.

Once she got in, the exhaustion hit her like a freight train. She almost fell asleep in his front seat, but made it to her bed to where she collapsed and stayed put the rest of the night.

XxX

Tuesday, Boruto was absent again. Sarada was now getting worried. If he was sick, that was a different story, but if something was genuinely wrong then she wanted to help make it right. Sarada had been oblivious to the rumors that were being said about her until she was with Sumiere in the hallway after school and caught her first wind of it.

"I'm sure he just doesn't want to show his face from how embarrassed he is." A girl said, as she walked by them. They were the girls that had been in the room that night, Sarada recognized her voice. Sumiere looked confused but Sarada wasn't paying attention to her. "Hooking up with someone like _her_?"

Sarada stopped walking. Sumiere noticed and frowned.

"Sarada...don't listen to what they're saying." She said softly. "You won't need to explain to the people who know you, and people who really care will come and ask you."

Taking a deep breath in, she realized Sumiere was right. Standing in the middle of the hallway ruminating about it wouldn't do anything. She really had to talk to Boruto and set the record straight, so tonight she would do it.

Itachi picked her up again, but he had been waiting a few minutes so Sarada dashed out of the front doors. He smiled as she climbed into his car. Her mind was still heavy with questions, and she didn't necessarily want to go to her dad about his best friend, so she twiddled her thumbs. Itachi glanced over at her.

"What's on your mind?"

"I don't know, a lot." She laughed. Itachi looked ahead.

"Talk to me."

"Well...I don't know. Boruto told me some things that might be...personal...but I don't know if they're true."

"About what?"

Sarada bit her tongue. Should she bring it up to Itachi? Would he even know anything? Him and Naruto used to work for the same company, and Naruto had practically lived at the Uchiha household growing up, so he might. She just didn't want her uncle's opinion of Naruto to change if it was true and he hadn't been aware about it.

"Um...well...Boruto said Hinata left Naruto because he was an alcoholic. And he was abusive."

Itachi remained silent.

Sarada felt severely uncomfortable. She shouldn't have brought it up. A topic as sensitive as this was nowhere near her business, nor her uncle's, she had just wanted clarity. But maybe it wasn't her clarity to be had.

"It's true," Itachi finally said. "But it's not my story to tell. I would ask Boruto when he feels comfortable telling you."

"Do you know more about it? Like what happened?"

Itachi sighed. "I do. But I'm not going to tell you. Maybe one day."

Sarada slumped in her seat. Well, there was her answer. Now she just wanted to know _why._

"Just be there for him. He probably needs you more than he lets on." Itachi smiled at her. Sarada puffed out her cheeks.

"I guess, he's just so obnoxious."

Itachi laughed.

Once she was home, Sarada was sure to make sure she had everything prepared for tomorrow; her uniform, school bag, homework, lunch, and was now heading towards her front door. Right as she opened it, she nearly jumped out of her skin when Boruto was standing on her porch, hand lifted about to knock. She held a hand to her heart.

"You scared me!"

"Sorry." He said shyly, and Sarada noticed how placid his energy was. She suddenly felt nervous, remembering his arms wrapping around her body and him hiding his face into her neck. It had been so close and intimate – the closest they've ever been, really – and Sarada refused to let her cheeks flush.

"Um, I-I was...just about to go to your house."

"Really?" He seemed surprised, then noticed Sasuke's office door was open. His voice got quiet. "Walk with me?"

Sarada shut the door behind her and strolled with him. After last Friday, she still felt severely conflicted. She wasn't sure how to act around him, and since this was their first time seeing each other since that night he cried. It was awkward, for a multitude of reasons. One being he had been talking shit on her to a bunch of strangers, then two broke down and told her some of his traumatic childhood experiences, and three cried in her shoulder, then four she felt herself getting butterflies over how close they'd been. Sarada couldn't bring herself to ask him quite yet about his dad. The timing wasn't right for anything.

Taking a deep breath in, she calmed her nerves and tried to focus on the cloudy wisps in the sky.

They ended up going to the park behind their houses, where they swung absentmindedly, admiring the cool toned sunset reflecting off of all the fall leaves. Sarada felt a chill as the sun's rays slowly set. She twirled her thumbs nervously.

"Um...so, how have you been? You haven't been to school." She asked, pushing around the tanbark with her foot. Hopefully small talk would get him to open up.

"I know." Boruto said quietly. His gaze was fixed on the ground. "I knew it was going to be a shitstorm after last Saturday, and I just really didn't want to deal with it."

Sarada understood, yet it was unfair since she had experienced the brunt of the lashback. She wasn't going to say that, though, so waited for him to speak.

"And not only that," He continued, "but just…" he ran a hand through his hair, "honestly, I felt...embarrassed."

Sarada raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

"Telling you everything." He looked at her. "I don't want you to look at my dad differently because he really has changed and is better now. _I'm_ the one who's not over it yet."

And, oh. Sarada pursed her lips. Understandable. Well that answered another one of her questions.

"And also...I don't know. I felt like I said too much and you were going to treat me differently."

"How come?"

He shrugged. "I hardly _know_ you like that, and suddenly I'm telling you my whole life story? It's weird." Boruto pushed himself off the ground, but then caught himself with his feet repeatedly. "I just want to forget about it, and just please don't tell anyone. So can we go back to being normal?"

Sarada looked at him. What even constituted "normal" for them? Insults, ignoring, and hating each other? Or being teasing and playful? She didn't even know anymore, something felt like it'd changed on a deeper level. He seemed quite worried that she would tell people about his breakdown, but rest assured, she would never use it against him.

"Of course." She said, and he let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks."

"_But_," Sarada interrupted, finally finding the gusto to address her issue. Boruto's face fell, worried she was about to put conditions on it, since that's what everyone did. "I can't let go of what you were saying about me to all your friends so easily."

Nervously, Boruto ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, so what do you want?"

"What do I want?" Sarada echoed questionably. "I don't want anything, I'm just telling you it'll be hard for me to trust you after that, because it really hurt my feelings. I thought we were getting closer, but now…"

Boruto was stumped. Sarada wasn't going to blackmail him for this? That was different. Guilt washed over him. She truly was such a kindhearted person, and all this time he really had been so mean to her. No wonder she hated him; he gave her absolutely no reason to like him.

"God, I'm really sorry I even said any of that. Like seriously, it was uncalled for. I was being stupid."

"Well, you live and you learn." Sarada shrugged. "Sure, things can go back to normal, but it'll probably be a while before I'll feel completely comfortable around you again. And the things people have been saying about me are so cruel, thanks to you."

Boruto slumped in the swing. "I'm sorry. I really am. If you let me, I swear I'll make it up to you."

"No need. Like I said, just treat me the way you treat everyone else, that way it's fair."

Boruto seemed deep in thought. They sat in the peacefulness of the dark night until it got too cold, so he walked her home. It was long, silent, and they didn't say a word even as Sarada retreated through her front door.


	5. V: Boba

**A/N: Hello everyone! I'd like to thank you all sooooo so so much for reviewing / following / favoriting, it makes my heart so happy! I absolutely love feedback and it means the most that you all take the time to read this lil piece that came from my imagination -hearts- I like to keep authors notes short, but I will check back in publicly every five or so chapters to thank you all for the support! As of right now updates are kind of sporadic, but I am aiming for about every 1-2 weeks.**

**I hope you all are staying safe and healthy out there with everything going on. I give you all my best love and wishes! So without further ado, here's the chapter!**

**XxX**

Boruto had come back to school by that Wednesday, and things fell back into place. He seemed to be more motivated and invested in the student council, which Mr. Aburame took notice of and rewarded him for on the Friday meeting. Since there weren't any school activities coming up until the Winter Ball (besides decorating for the other holidays), their after school student council meetings were short and rather boring. Even so, Boruto was taking this job more seriously.

On Friday, once the meeting was over, Boruto asked Sarada what she was doing, and when she replied nothing, he offered to take her out for some ice cream or Boba. What a weirdo, she had thought grimly. She declined, but then Monday it was the same thing. He would ask, she would decline, and it went on like that until the next Friday when she finally caved because it was getting annoying.

"I don't understand why you wanted to take me here."

Boruto gave Sarada a look that obviously stemmed from desperation that she stop insisting upon knowing. But, he put on his best front after a sigh.

"I already told you."

He really didn't. It was more of a half-assed answer that probably was a pity lie as well. _"I owe you,"_ my ass. Owe her for what, exactly? Making Sarada's life harder with his only personality trait that was being an asshole? Sarada pursed her lips, staring at the menu hanging from the ceiling.

Being a warm, cozy Friday night with only minimal clouds in the sky, it was already bustling with customers; Sarada was surprised Boruto wasn't glancing every which direction to hide from people he knew, because he was out in public with Sarada Uchiha. Instead, he was acting rather nonchalant, picking at his nails, wiping dust from his perfectly polished dress shoes, texting Shikadai, and occasionally pushing Sarada to get her attention. She glared at him, and he grinned.

"Alright, what do you want?" He asked once at the counter.

"I'll have a green tea with soy."

"What flavor boba?" The cashier asked sweetly.

"Regular."

"Okay, and for you?"

"Vanilla chai. Regular for me, too." Boruto said, shuffling through his back pocket.

"Okay, and will that be all?"

"Yes," Sarada said, reaching for her wallet in her bag.

"And is this together or separate?" The cashier asked.

Before Sarada could say separate, Boruto said, "together," and shoved his card into the card reader. Sarada stared at him while he ignored her, keeping an even gaze with the cashier. She paid no mind to the couple, and rung up their order then moved on to the next customers. Sarada was still staring at him as he placed his card back in his wallet.

"I was gonna pay for mine." Sarada said softly.

Boruto shrugged. "Too bad."

Huffing, Sarada grabbed their straws and they sat at a table. Boruto spun his phone around until Shikadai texted him, and he typed something before going right back to his activity. Sarada watched with disinterest while her mind was surfing through hurricanes.

"You ever been here before?" Boruto asked.

Sarada nodded. "My uncle used to take me here a lot. But now we always go to the diner on the other side of the train tracks."

"That place is hella good," Boruto sat back in his chair. "Have you tried their curly fries?"

Sarada raised a brow. "They have curly fries?"

"Yeah, I think they just started making them. If you get them with the lemon pepper seasoning too, it's the best!" Boruto heard their drinks called, and he hopped up to go grab them. Curly fries, huh? Sarada would have to ask Itachi if they could go there soon.

"Here's your leaf drink." Boruto slid Sarada's drink to her. She gave him a look as they poked their straws through the top.

"What do you think chai is, stupid?"

"Also leaves, but spicier." He took a drink of his, and let out a refreshing breath. "Now _this_ is good. I don't like green tea. It tastes like grass."

"But have you ever tried this green tea, though?"

"No."

Sarada pushed her drink towards him. "Try it."

Giving her an unconvinced look, Boruto took the tiniest sip. After careful consideration, he nodded his head.

"It's actually not bad."

"Told you." Sarada smirked, then pulled her cup back. Boruto rolled his eyes – out of amusement rather than annoyance and pulled out his phone. It was only until Sarada was about to take a drink that she realized Boruto used her straw. Now, she wasn't a germ freak, but the middle school thought of having an indirect kiss with him drove her crazy. Ew!

But, she wasn't going to cause a scene and get a whole new straw, so she sucked it up and took a drink anyway. Boruto wasn't paying attention at all; he was playing some golfing game on his phone.

The interesting thing about this outing was that nothing about it felt weird...which was weird. It felt..._normal_ to be around Boruto outside of school. Which was weird _again_, because she thought after the incident she would have completely severed all plausible second chances of letting him redeem himself, let alone take her out for something as simple as boba. The awkwardness between them practically was nonexistent, which was surprising within itself. He was pretending like his breakdown never happened.

Sarada slowly tapped her fingertips against the cup. She bit her lip. There was something she wanted to see...

"I-I don't think I've ever tried the chai before."

Boruto looked up once he was done swinging the golf club. "Really? Here." Without hesitation, he pushed the drink towards her and went back to his game.

Sarada looked at him. Slowly pulling the cup closer to her, the savory chai didn't mix very well with the taste of sweet green tea still on her tongue, but she could still appreciate the flavor. Boruto took his drink back absentmindedly and almost choked on one of the boba balls, but then went back to playing his game. Sarada couldn't stop laughing.

Alone, Boruto was completely different. More calm, rational, and certainly easier to talk to. He still was a jokester, but nothing cruel like how he was at school. Sarada actually enjoyed his company when it was just the two of them. Repeated small gestures like paying, offhanded compliments, and walking her home weren't things she was swayed by in the slightest. He seemed to be very neutral towards her, and Sarada was _positive_ he was giving other girls the same gentlemanly treatment. She had told him to treat her the same way as everyone else, and that's what he was doing...

Seemingly.

She didn't see him taking other girls out for boba two times a week, but details.

The month passed by smoothly with no substantial drama. Boruto was still entertaining Chocho on the regular, and most girls had given up at this point since the Akimichi took up most of his time between classes and at lunch. Besides avoiding the devilish couple, though, Sarada found herself actually looking forward to student council on Monday's and Tuesday's instead of absolutely dreading having to be alone with Boruto. She looked forward to how much they could accomplish and the inside jokes they had created with each other that always lightened the stressful vibe. They began sitting next to each other in the collective grade student council meetings to compare notes, and slowly began migrating towards each other in the teacher's meetings, too. They even started saying an amicable hello to each other in the halls. It was monumental.

Monday's and Thursday's became their designated Boba days. And so far for three weeks without fail, Boruto and Sarada would walk to the shop right down the street, they would try each other's drinks, chill for about an hour, and then he would walk her home after.

During their time together, Sarada found they actually had a lot in common with how they viewed situations, people, and certain feelings, but whenever the conversation would get a little too personal for Boruto, he would veer the topic to Sarada and her family. Sarada obviously caught on, but knew he was uncomfortable talking about his feelings, so didn't take offense to it. Boruto was actually quite funny on his own, and he had Sarada almost spitting out her Boba more than once during their conversations.

Finding herself gravitating physically closer to him, though, was never on the agenda, until their feet were bumping against each other's under the table as Boruto griped about the flavor of tea he had gotten was subpar. She tried not to let her heart thud at the way his voice always got more raspy when he was irritated, or the way he kept drinking the boba even though he hated it. He never wasted food or drinks, and she appreciated that about him.

One Thursday when Boruto had to cancel, Sarada tried not to be too upset, because then _that_ would be weird that she was reading more into their relationship than was actually there. She especially tried not to be upset when Chocho walked in that Friday morning boasting about how _great_ of a night she had in _bed_.

Whilst putting her textbooks in her locker, Sarada looked to her left over at Boruto's locker in the main hall. He was leaned against the wall, surrounded by his friends while Chocho bragged, a smug look on his face, and though he was very aware Sarada was looking at him from down the hall, he wouldn't look back at her.

Sarada slammed her locker and didn't talk to anyone the rest of the day. She was mad at herself for being mad. Jealousy was a stupid emotion, but she couldn't help but give him the cold shoulder during student council, shutting down every one of his jokes and rejecting his offers to go out for boba. A snake was a snake. Boruto was who he was; Sarada was an idiot thinking he really was giving her any special treatment or had any chance of changing. She had gotten her hopes up and it had all come crashing down again. Naivety was a curse.

Boruto was well aware of what he did, so he shouldn't have been surprised she was acting standoffish towards him. But, Sarada saw the hurt in his eyes as she continuously pushed him away, and eventually he stopped talking to her altogether, and she tried to ignore it. It was confusing, because he had no reason to be hurt. He was Boruto Uzumaki; emotionless, a player, and did whatever he wanted. He held no attached obligation to Sarada like she did to him. At least, that's what Sarada kept telling herself.

It didn't take long before the distance between them grew wider again.

For Halloween night, Sarada stayed home and opened the door for trick or treaters. She was enjoying herself, and being wrapped up in a blanket with her favorite hoodie and leggings on was the best. She didn't expect, though, to open the door and have Himawari standing there in a butterfly costume, a bucket full of candy, and Inojin behind her with an amused expression.

"Trick or treat!" She said, and Sarada smiled.

"Hey, your costume is so cute!"

"Thanks!" Himawari said, taking a piece of candy. "You and Boruto are both answering the door tonight!"

"Really?" Sarada laughed. How ironic, she genuinely thought he'd be out partying and getting stupid drunk. Or with Chocho, she thought bitterly. Ew. She hated that she was _still_ jealous.

"Yeah, he likes you a lot, I can tell." She said, and Inojin looked at her. "When he gets home after hanging out with you he's really happy! You're the only one he takes out anymore, which is weird because he used to bring different girls over all the time!"

"Hima," Inojin scolded. She giggled.

"Really," Sarada mused.

The _only_ one? After Chocho serenaded the entire school of the night she had underneath the sheets and rose petals, that was highly doubtful. Boruto had bailed on her, but then again what boy would go out for boba when they could go have sex instead? Sarada got it. She had nothing to offer other than a good conversation. They were just friends, after all. Boruto would never have feelings for someone like her, and therefore would never put her above someone like Chocho.

With that being the first time she'd ever thought about him like that, Sarada wished she could believe Himawari, but it just wasn't possible at the moment. They were no longer on speaking terms over Sarada's stupid hurt feelings.

Himawari nodded. "We're going to finish this row of houses, but you should come over! We're going to watch scary movies all night and carve pumpkins!"

"Hima, I don't think–" Inojin said, and Himawari pouted at him.

"It would be fun! Right, Sarada? You'll come over?"

Her doll eyes were fluttering so delicately that Sarada couldn't say no. Himawari let out a cheer, then waved as she hopped down the porch steps, Inojin shaking his head as he followed her. Sarada said bye, and shut the door, only to have to open it shortly after for more trick or treaters.

After about an hour, Himawari's offer was still swimming in her head. She really debated whether she should or not, since she felt she would be intruding, but at the same time, she wasn't necessarily doing anything else tonight. But she was still mad at Boruto. But she didn't want to sit in her house all night being bored. But Himawari would be sad if she didn't show up. But then she'd have to be in the same vicinity as Boruto willingly. _Ugh!_

Well, maybe he wasn't home. From the time Himawari and Inojin left, he could've gone to a party. And knowing him, he definitely had a fear of missing out, so there's no way in _hell_ he was home tonight. So it would be safe to go hang out with the two.

Finally jumping up from the couch having made a decision, she wrote a note that said _take one_, set it inside the bowl, and put it on the porch. Once throwing on a jacket, she told her mother she was going to the Uzumaki house, and made her way down the street.

The walk wasn't too long, just on the opposite side of the block. She could've cut through the park behind her house, but it was hard to see through all the dark pine trees at night, and it was much safer walking out here with plenty of people around. It was so much fun seeing all the decorations and set ups her neighbors had in their yards. Some were minimalists and had only spooky lights, whereas others had a full blown maze to get to their front door.

Once reaching the Uzumaki house, she hesitated knocking, but then did it anyway. Himawari answered, now out of her costume, and beamed.

"You came!"

"Y-Yeah, thanks for inviting me." Sarada said, and she was let inside. Boruto and Inojin were at the table sorting through all the candy, and Boruto looked just as surprised to see her and she was to see him. Which, was stupid, because he lived here, duh. But she expected him to be at a party!

They stared at each other for a long moment, and Sarada wondered if she could turn around and walk right back out the door. She felt uncomfortable being here, and had so many questions. But it was too late now.

"I invited Sarada over, by the way." Himawari said. "She gave out the Kit Kats!"

"Coulda guessed that." Boruto said lightly, and Sarada gave him a look.

At their last outing, she'd mentioned Kit Kats were her favorite candy. And apparently, he'd remembered. She held down her feelings of resentment that bubbled to the surface. He wasn't allowed to tease her anymore. All she saw when she looked at him now was the expression he held the next morning after bailing on her. The smugness and blatant disregard for her standing right in his line of sight but paying her no attention.

"Who's ready for Texas Chainsaw Massacre?!" Himawari shouted, then began scrolling through Netflix furiously. Inojin quickly redirected her to a more suspenseful, less bloody movie, and Sarada was left at the table with Boruto. He was eyeing his sister and Inojin closely.

"That was nice of him to take her trick or treating." Sarada said mindlessly. Boruto made a face.

"Yeah, I guess. There wasn't much room to battle it."

Realizing she had spoken aloud, she was stunned he had even talked to her. He didn't seem to hold any resentment against her for how she reacted – his energy seemed very complacent and almost careful. Because he knew without a doubt when Sarada snapped, there was no going back and he'd already crossed that line before. So now, he was apprehensive to say too much, and Sarada could see that. The fact that he was at least responding to her said a lot though, because that meant he wanted to fix it. If he was done with her he would've dipped out the second she walked in.

Maybe Sarada was being too harsh on him, like usual. She shouldn't keep pushing all these unattainable expectations on him, he owed her nothing. He was human, too. And finally she was starting to see him down on the ground with her rather than upon a pedestal.

Sarada looked over at Himawari and Inojin. They were arguing over what movie to watch, since Himawari wanted to go all out, meanwhile Inojin was trying to talk her down into something less crazy. Saw would give her nightmares for weeks, and he knew that, so was only trying to preserve her innocence. When she laughed, Boruto gazed at her.

Once the movie was set, they all sat down at the table with their pumpkins and began carving and shaving out the insides. Himawari and Inojin were having a competition to see whose would come out better, leaving Sarada and Boruto as the judges. Sarada taught them how to cook the pumpkin seeds, so by the time Himawari and Inojin were done, they had a platter of snacks to munch on as well.

The final reveal of all their carvings – Himawari had done a unicorn and Inojin a bird. To say the least, Inojin's looked the best, much to Himawari's dismay.

During the movie, Himawari and Inojin curled up on one side of the couch, while Boruto glared at them from the other side and Sarada was in the middle. She gave him a strange look. The other two were too busy with the movie to notice.

"What's wrong?" Sarada asked. Boruto leaned his elbows on the arm of the sofa and blew out a breath.

"Nothing." He said, and Sarada nudged him. She was way too curious to let it go.

"C'mon. Something has to be on your mind."

He kept his eyes on the television for a moment, then looked to his sister then to Sarada. He shrugged and adjusted the blanket on his lap.

"I'll tell you later."

For now, Sarada would just have to accept that. There was so much she wanted to ask him. Starting with his feelings regarding their boba outings and ending with Chocho. She could never tell what he was thinking, he was such a closed book. And if she was being honest, yelling at him would make her feel much better, but she could tell he had other things on his mind, and they never got anywhere when they yelled at each other. And for what? Admitting out loud that she had been jealous Boruto had bailed to go hook up with Chocho? No freaking way, never in a million years would she give him that satisfaction.

Sighing, Sarada curled her legs to her chest and watched the movie intently.

About halfway through, chills ran up her spine. Not from the movie, but she was getting cold. She had only brought a small jacket which was extremely thin, so she rubbed her arms to warm them up. Boruto glanced to the side, then looked back at the movie.

He noticed Sarada kept doing it, and she was curling closer into her body. Eventually, he opened his blanket, tugged her closer to him, and threw it over the side of her. She let out a small squeak, but immediately the warmth encased her. Their knees were touching under the blanket, and she tried not to think about it too hard.

Ino came to pick up Inojin before midnight. Himawari cleaned everything up and went to bed, leaving Boruto and Sarada downstairs in the dim lighting from the kitchen. Sarada was still wrapped in the blanket while Boruto brought her some tea.

"I'm telling you, that jacket of yours is useless." He said, handing her the cup. Sarada took it graciously.

"I didn't expect to get so cold."

"It's literally going to snow tonight."

"It doesn't snow here, stupid!"

Boruto snorted. Sarada took a sip of her tea, and recoiled when it was too hot, then blew on it. They sat in the nice serenity of the living room, just enjoying the silence and wind tap against the window panes. Sarada let out a deep breath. She would start with simple conversation, then get into the yelling.

"So, what were you going to tell me later?"

Boruto kept his eyes on his steaming tea. "I don't trust Inojin around my sister. Yeah, he's nice to her, and she has the biggest crush on him, but there's just something off about him."

Sarada raised a brow. "I thought you two were friends?"

"We are. Just something's been up lately." His tone inflected he didn't want to talk about it anymore. He took a sip of tea. "After this cup, I'll walk you home."

"You sure? It's pretty cold outside." Sarada said. She really didn't want him to be out late because of her; she could always call her mom to save him the trip. Besides, she couldn't really stand the sight of him either right now, so it would save her the tragedy of having to deal with his presence for ten more minutes.

"Yeah." He slipped out of the blanket, and preemptively grabbed his jacket. "Besides, I don't mind a little star gazing while I walk home."

Sarada's tea cup slowly lowered into her lap. How strange Boruto could be sometimes. Going from being one way to the complete opposite in such a short time was still a lot to deal with. He really was more tranquil than his public mask deemed him to be. Trying to imagine him acting calm and collected all the time was a weird thought, she just couldn't picture it. Boruto had too much personality to be so chill all the time. And she forgot that he did have feelings, too, as much as he tried to hide them. Suddenly, she realized the way she'd reacted had been rude, and expecting Boruto to just take it was unfair. Her shoulders dropped.

The whole situation had completely undone the past month. They had definitely grown more comfortable around each other and he hadn't been doing anything to damage their relationship, except the speed bump that was Chocho. That had taken them back a couple steps, and now Sarada was fighting with her feelings whether she wanted to forgive him and be his friend again or continue giving him the cold shoulder.

But, then again, could she fully trust someone who said all those mean things about her in front of all those people at the Fall Festival? It was a line she didn't know where to draw. Before, it had always been so black and white. If people did her wrong, they were out of her life. But now, with Boruto it was different. Deep down, she wanted to prove to herself that he wasn't actually as terrible as everyone thought he was. For some reason there was so much she didn't know about him, and she wanted to figure it out. It was an indescribable, confusing feeling.

Her silent space must've provoked Boruto to fill it, since he began talking.

"Also, I wanna say sorry for when I bailed on you that one Thursday." Boruto quickly took a sip of tea to hide his expression. "I felt bad."

"Felt bad about what?" Sarada asked, quite agog he even brought it up first. Just for her own satisfaction, since he never wanted to talk about his feelings, she was going to _make_ him this time.

"That I, uh, bailed on you... for Chocho." He cleared his throat. "I know you heard what she was saying. And I knew you were mad."

"Why would I have any reason to be mad?" Sarada looked at him evenly. While it may be the truth, she wanted to know _why_ he was under the impression she had been upset. He let out a quick breath.

"Don't play with me, I know for a fact you were mad." He nudged her arm. "You stopped staring at me creepily from your locker like a stalker."

Sarada almost choked on her tea. "I do not _stare_ at you from my locker!"

Boruto cackled. "You get to school every morning at seven twenty-five and put your books away right when I get there at seven-thirty. Yes you do."

"I'm just seeing if you're gonna show up or not so I'll know if I have to stay for student council, stupid." Sarada muttered. "And how do you know what time I get to school? It sounds like you're the stalker!"

"Sarada, you're like clockwork. There's not a day that goes by that you don't follow your routine, until I started taking you out for boba." He grinned as if he had won this time, and Sarada pushed his face away.

"You don't know me. And you didn't even answer my question!"

"What question?"

"Why would I have a reason to be mad?'

"'Cause you were jealous?"

Sarada laughed. He knew her _too_ well, her heart was pounding. "See, you don't know me."

"I wouldn't say I do, but I can read you better than you think." He finished off his tea. "Whether you think you were jealous or not, everything is on your face. Literally you can't hide _anything_."

Sarada felt her cheeks start to heat up. He was teasing her way too much!

"Do not!"

"Don't be embarrassed about it, it's cute." He leaned back.

"Yeah, well, you're the complete opposite. I can't tell what you're thinking at _all_." Sarada curled her legs up to her chest.

"Really? I feel like I'm pretty open with you." He said, plopping the tea bag up and down in the empty cup. Sarada looked at him.

"You think?"

He scoffed. "How many people know about my dad?"

Sarada clasped her fingers together. Well, she supposed that was true, but just knowing one large thing that impacted his life didn't mean he was _continuously_ open with her.

"Well, that's only one thing."

Boruto threw his hands behind his head. "Well, what else do you wanna know?"

Now that she was on the spot, Sarada could not think of anything. The tons of questions she'd had listed in her head suddenly had disappeared. Until one popped into her head.

"Why do you feel like you have to change yourself to make people like you?"

Boruto stared at her, then looked forward to the TV. It was in screensaver mode, so he observed the floating pictures before answering. "That's a good question. I guess I worry about not being good enough."

"Good enough for who?"

"Everyone." He shrugged. "It's easier to make people intentionally dislike me than to try and get them to _actually_ like me. That way I control how they feel about me."

"Well, isn't that kind of unfair? You're putting a label on yourself for other people to judge before they can actually get to know you."

"Yeah, well, I don't think anyone wants to _really_ get to know me. I'm fucked up."

"Everyone is in their own way," Sarada said, "everyone has their own anxiety because everyone wants to be accepted, but wouldn't you rather be authentic and find who _actually_ cares about you that way then be surrounded by a bunch of fake people?"

Boruto didn't know what to say. He simply shrugged.

"Beats me."

Sarada rolled her eyes. She couldn't tell if he really was this shallow, or he was holding back. It had to be the latter, just based on past conversations, because he was severely uncomfortable talking about his feelings and he thought it was weird to share them with Sarada of all people. But, for some reason, she didn't like that.

"You know, you can be honest with me."

"I know I _can_, but I don't _want_ to be." Boruto said cheekily, then poked her forehead. "It's late. I'll walk you home."

The walk home stung colder than anticipated. Sarada could hardly hold her jacket tight enough to her body. She was quaking with shivers, and upon noticing Boruto shed his own jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Her steps faltered, but he continued on as if nothing had happened. She let out a long breath and kept walking. He was so strange. Tonight had been strange. She hadn't gotten all the answers she'd liked, but at least she knew he somewhat trusted her still, he was just holding back.

Soon, on her doorstep, the automatic light flicked on as it sensed their movement, and instead of stopping at her driveway like Sarada had anticipated he'd do, he walked her all the way to the door. She turned around before letting out another chilled breath, steam dissipating around them, and Boruto snorted. She was still shivering.

Taking her into his arms, Sarada was taken aback at first, but then melted into his warmth. After tonight, she hadn't known where their relationship stood, but obviously Boruto still felt they were in good graces. Hugs were still a new thing between them. The first time it happened, of course, was at the Fall Festival, but that didn't count since Boruto hardly remembered. So, the first time he officially _remembered_, Boruto had done it out of sheer absent-minded impulse whilst grating her about being so adamant on soy milk in her tea instead of whole, and once they'd realized, it had gotten really awkward really quick. A small cough to fill the void and Sarada practically tripping into her house, it wasn't spoken of until the next time Boruto asked permission to hug her. So, now Sarada liked to think of them more as kindly transferring body-heat than a romantic gesture.

But, this particular moment was almost too delicate to say anything, so she didn't.

"See you tomorrow." He said softly, loosening his grasp around her small frame, and Sarada immediately craved his touch again once they were apart. They looked at each other gently, barely a hint of a smile on Boruto's face, but it was there. Sarada felt her heart pound.

It felt as if they stood there forever, but upon Boruto breaking eye contact, he headed down her steps and ran off into the night. Sarada clenched his jacket closer.

What...was this feeling?

**XxX**


	6. VI: Feelings

Boruto and Inojin sat on the edge of his bed playing Call of Duty. Himawari was in her parents bathroom still trying to scrub the face paint from last night off and it had already been an hour. Digging through her mother's makeup and using all the foundation in the world wasn't helping because the purple streaks on her cheeks were still visible. She screamed in frustration, and Inojin and Boruto flinched.

"Bro, good luck with her today."

Inojin forced a laugh. "I mean, we're just going out for ice cream."

"Doesn't matter. She'll be in there all day if you don't go tell her she's pretty." Boruto said. He had _way_ too much personal experience with his sister growing up to know exactly what _to_ say and what _not_ to say. Inojin let out a big sigh, setting the controller aside while Boruto covered for his character. After a couple minutes, Inojin came back with a nervous look on his face.

"Look like I'm going to pick some up instead. You wanna come with?"

"Sure, let's finish this game first."

They won, and Boruto slipped on some shoes while Inojin grabbed his jacket and they headed to the store. Himawari specifically instructed Cold Stone brand Chocolate Chip and would accept nothing less. If they came back with nothing, it meant bad news.

Out of curiosity, Boruto was checking out Inojin's permit once in the car. He laughed at the portrait.

"Dude, your eyes look hella small!"

"Shut up, I know! I wasn't ready for the picture and they wouldn't let me retake it."

"Good thing you can retake your license picture." Boruto flipped the paper around. "When Shikadai got his he didn't smile. He looks high as fuck."

Inojin laughed. "I'm not surprised. He's lucky he gets to drive by himself legally."

"Right? That's what I told him. His ass never takes me anywhere."

"Probably because you're the worst co-pilot. When do you think he'll get a girlfriend? That guy never talks to girls."

"Who knows. Whichever girl he does date, though, needs to be able to beat his ass around. He can't date a pushover." Boruto handed Inojin back his permit, and they hopped out of the car and went inside.

Beelining straight to the frozen food section, Boruto scanned the ice cream for Cold Stone, until he found the brand, but no regular chocolate chip. He gulped. Maybe Himawari would let them get away unscathed if they brought her a different kind. Chocolate chip cookie dough was in stock, and she could pull out the little cookie dough pieces if she didn't want them. Perfect. Boruto reached into the freezer and grabbed the carton.

Inojin rounded the corner with some flowers and makeup wipes, and Boruto gave him a look.

"You're gonna get those for her too?"

"Well, yeah, because I feel bad she didn't get to go out. She was excited to show off her new outfit."

Boruto scoffed. "You're whipped."

Inojin shrugged. "You wouldn't understand."

"Yeah, well I don't really care to." Boruto set the ice cream atop the self checkout. It beeped, and he grabbed the flowers from Inojin. "All I'm saying, bro, is I know she's my sister, but _you're_ the girl in this relationship." He scanned the makeup wipes and Inojin pulled out his card.

"Why is that a bad thing?"

Boruto hesitated. "I dunno, it's not manly."

"It's not manly to make the girl you're dating happy? Flowers, makeup wipes, and ice cream is the bare minimum, Boruto."

"It's just weird." Boruto said, as Inojin pulled the card from the reader. "You guys might not even end up together, you're not even her boyfriend. Why are you gonna spend all this money on a girl you might not end up marrying?"

"Because I'm enjoying my time with her right _now_." Inojin took the flowers from Boruto. "You really have a skewed way of seeing things. Imagine a guy that thinks and acts like you trying to date your sister. How would that feel?"

Boruto got quiet. Inojin sighed and they walked out of the store back to the car. Once the car was on and their seatbelts were latched, Inojin held onto the steering wheel. He sighed.

"All I'm saying is these are the little things that matter in the long run. For all Himawari knows, we're just getting ice cream and that's it. That's where the bar is set. _I'm_ going out of my way to get her flowers to make her feel special, and the makeup wipes show that I actually listen and care about what's going on. You really need to look outside of yourself, dude, because take a look at you and Sarada."

Boruto flinched. "What about her?"

"Do you see how off and on you two are? It's because you can't pull your head out of your ass and stay consistent with your feelings. To be honest, I was shocked to even see you taking her out to boba all the time, but then you had to go and fuck around with Chocho and mess it all up."

"Chocho was lying. I went over to her house but we didn't hook up. I was getting my t-shirt back then I went home and took a nap."

"Well _I_ know that, but why why didn't you tell _Sarada_ that?"

"Chocho says whatever the fuck she wants about us, we have that agreement. And me and Sarada aren't dating so it shouldn't matter."

"You're right, you're not but look at the principal of it. You set the expectation of taking her out _twice_ a week to spend time with just her and getting to know her outside of the student council, you suddenly cancel and Chocho goes to school the next day singing about your guys' imaginary sex life. That's messed up."

"To be honest I really didn't think it through." Boruto grumbled. "I ran out of allowance and couldn't take her out that day, then remembered I'd left a t-shirt at Chocho's a while ago and went to grab it. They had nothing to do with the other."

Inojin slapped a hand to his face. "So instead of telling Sarada that, you went and had Chocho tell the entire school you guys hooked up?"

Boruto shrugged. "Yeah."

Inojin slammed his head on his steering wheel, shaking it back and forth hopelessly. "You are literally a fucking idiot."

Boruto scoffed. "I wasn't about to admit that I was broke, no way!"

"I'm _pretty_ sure Sarada wouldn't still be hanging around you if it was for your money." Inojin's look got dangerously dark. "I'm not kidding, dude, if you're gonna keep fucking around with Sarada with this attitude you _are_ going to hurt her. _Everyone_ knows Sarada is an angel on earth. So if you're not gonna be serious about her then you better stop leading her on."

Boruto felt uneasy looking at his friend in the drivers seat. The energy was very tense, and he had never had this type of intervention before, especially from Inojin. Maybe that's why they had been clashing lately; because Inojin was getting fed up watching their cycle repeat over and over.

"I'm not leading her on." Boruto said quietly.

"Well, just leave Sarada alone because she's only gonna get more attached." Inojin kept their gazes hooked, then finally broke it and put the car into reverse. "And I'm saying that on behalf of the entire school, as well. People have been talking. You're still a huge asshole to her, but everyone sees you giving her special treatment."

Boruto sank into the passenger's seat, his hands dug into his pockets. He never thought their relationship was that serious since she always hated him every other week. Yeah, she was a cute girl and fun to tease and he definitely now had a soft spot for her, but she could still be a real pain in the ass. Also not to mention she was innocent in every way possible; never had a first kiss, never dated anyone, still a virgin, probably had a crush or two once upon a time but nothing ever came from it, and _everyone_ knew Sarada Uchiha as the intelligent girl-next-door type. She was a black or white, logic only type of person.

So there was no way in hell Boruto was ever going to let their relationship get any deeper – he was terrified of corrupting her and having to deal with "relationship" feelings all over again on his part. Would he like to date someone like Sarada? Absolutely, there was no doubt she was the whole package and more. But had he been hurt way too many times to ever want to go through that again? Yes. Would he end up hurting her because of his repressed flaws and shitty coping mechanisms? Yes. He was incapable of letting himself open up any more than he already had.

To be honest, Boruto had mainly started taking her out to clean his own consciousness of his shitty actions the past couple months, so that was the reason he always said he owed her with no other explanation. It wasn't ever because he liked her that way. He owed her for making her suffer through his inability to communicate or have a normal friendship with someone and ruining her student council experience. He felt guilty for a lot of things, so was attempting to compensate for something. All it resulted in, though, is Boruto realizing he couldn't keep up the fake persona. Being genuine didn't come natural to him. So it was easier to fling a grenade into the middle of their relationship than try to talk through it and explain why he couldn't do certain things.

Once Inojin pulled back into the Uzumaki driveway, he let out a sigh.

"Sorry if I hurt your feelings at all. I know I'm your friend, and Himawari is your sister. But Sarada has always been a good friend to me and my family, she's such a sweet girl I just really don't want her to get hurt."

"No worries, dude. I'll stay away from her." Boruto held up his hands. "You're right. I've been leading her on without realizing it. I'll stop."

Inojin took the flowers from Boruto and they went inside. Himawari was shocked to see the bouquet and the makeup wipes, and she joyfully jumped into Inojin's arms, thanking him over and over again. She looked so happy, and so did Inojin.

Boruto slowly closed the door behind him with one hand, the bag of ice cream in the other, and watched the couple. Inojin and him may not have a great history together, and their base personalities may clash frequently, but he sure did know what he was talking about.

**XxX**

For Sarada, November meant more crispy air, Thanksgiving decorations, homework, and unconventional feelings.

Recently, Boruto had been very normal; more apt to sit back and observe. His overall presence was now meshing with everyone else's. For him to have an off day was rare, but an off week was _unheard_ of. He would still crack jokes here and there, but for the most part he was acting...indifferent. Which was such a lukewarm word to use for an Uzumaki, but it was the only thing that fit. Teachers, student council meetings, exciting announcements, homework, rumors, Chocho, his friends, hardly _anything_ got a reaction from him.

It seemed so out of character, but when he and Sarada had been alone together, he was calm, but not like this. There was something wrong. Sarada wondered if now that they were on speaking terms again they would start their boba outings back up, but maybe less frequently, since she really did enjoy spending that time with him. There was absolutely no way to tell what he was thinking with his energy being so masked like this. Whenever she tried to spark up a conversation with him, he would answer, but only minimally. He hardly kept it going either, and kept their student council meetings on Monday and Tuesday's short and to the point. No chit chat, no inside jokes, and no boba offers.

Sarada began to think this was him giving her a taste of her own medicine, and soon it began to weigh on her sorrowfully.

The only person who hadn't changed was Chocho.

"Borutoooo," Chocho sang loudly in the hall one morning, coming in with her new dress on. Every Wednesday they could wear a casual outfit if they wanted, and this week Chocho apparently had chosen to. It was way too cold outside for a dress, being low fifties, so everyone was looking at her strangely. "Don't I look so cute?!"

"Adorable." He said, hardly giving her any attention, then turning his attention back to Iwabee and Shikadai's argument over chess strategies. They were planning a battle after school, and Boruto was glad he had student council as an excuse so he didn't have to die of boredom over a three hour game they all knew Shikadai would win in the end. Chocho puffed her cheeks out.

"You never pay attention to me anymore! What happened, you're so boring now."

Boruto raised a brow at her. "I'm just not interested."

Chocho glowered, then leaned close to his ear. "I'll give you head if you come to my house tonight."

Boruto's eyes widened, and Chocho scampered off with her friends giggling. Mitsuki gave him a questionable look, and the expression Boruto responded with told him to drop it.

The day passed with Boruto's mind muddled with questions. There was a very important topic he and Sarada had to go over in the student council today, but he just couldn't bring himself to be as invested as he should.

"Mr. Aburame said the topic of discussion on Friday will be regarding the attendance policy." Sarada said, reading the paper in her grasp. "Apparently they're talking about enforcing next spring that students can only be tardy maximum of seven times and absent three times in a semester per class, and any after that will result in mandatory after school detention and momentary suspension from any joined clubs." She looked up from the paper. "What do you think of that?"

"I think their intentions with it are good, but they have to remember we're a bunch of teenagers who fuck up sometimes and sleep in and sometimes just don't wanna come to class. They can't expect us to be perfect." He said.

Sarada nodded in agreement. "I like the idea that they want us to be here and succeed, but the mandatory detention? What's included in that? If it's just sitting there doing nothing, that does nothing but harm the students who were absent. They have to catch up on the classwork they missed, but if that's what the detention is for, then it's like a small buffer for kids to get on top of their homework before it piles on too long and they get behind."

Boruto nodded, not really paying attention.

Sarada read over the paper numerous times.

The policy in the making was still so brand new that there were hardly any details on it. That's why each class rep in every grade was to give their classes feedback, turn it in to their homeroom teacher by Thursday, and they would all have a full on student council meeting with teachers and the headmaster on Friday to discuss further.

Boruto slung his feet up on the desk, much to the dismay of Sarada. "Put down in my box what I just said. I like it for the purpose of maintaining an organized setting, but I disagree with how strict it feels."

Sarada scrunched her nose. If he was going to give her attitude, she would throw it right back at him.

"Write it yourself."

He scoffed. "Nah. You already have the pen and paper so might as well do it."

This new attitude was...different. Especially towards her. She had assumed this easy-going persona would wear off eventually, but it had been going on for two weeks now. Compared to Halloween night, lately he had been cold, apathetic, and unresponsive, which was a complete one-eighty from his passionate, fiery self.

Usually he picked up on energy rather quickly – which Sarada's was slowly depleting with defeat – so she was wondering why he wasn't reacting to it. By now, he would have cracked a joke of some sort then they would've fallen into their deep talks and gotten to a mutual understanding of each other. That's how it always went – that's how it was _supposed_ to go.

After a long branch of silence, Sarada was beginning to feel impatient. Why wasn't he paying attention to her like he usually did? Why wasn't he making fun of her newly developing wrinkles, or her glasses that were too big to fit on her nose, or the fact that her uniform wasn't up to Uchiha standards? Something had happened since Halloween. It was weirdly hurtful, and she didn't like it.

"Welp," Boruto let out a big stretch while yawning. "If that's all, I'll be going. Be sure to slide that under the teachers lounge door, will ya?"

As he threw his satchel strap over his shoulder, his shoes clicked on the flooring as he headed out the door, hands in his pockets, but was quickly stopped by Sarada holding onto his sleeve. He turned his head in confusion.

"What do you want?"

Sarada looked dejected. Her gaze was fixed on the floor, and for a moment, she didn't say anything. She clutched one fist to her heart.

"Sarada?"

She still remained quiet. Then finally, after a small intake of breath, she looked at him.

"Why have you been acting so different?"

He raised a brow.

"This is how I always am."

"No, different towards _me_."

Boruto looked to the floor and closed his eyes.

"I'm treating you the exact same way I treat everyone else."

Sarada's hold on him faltered. The possibility of that actually happening just seemed so...arbitrary. One day he was buying her boba and walking her home, and the next he was disregarding her like this. He was the definition of hot and cold, and it was more confusing not knowing which Boruto she was going to deal with today rather than them both mutually hating each other like before.

"Like you said a while ago, it's unfair you're getting special treatment. I didn't realize I had been doing it until Inojin pointed it out. You're the same to me as everyone else now."

A burning sensation tore throughout her body. It wasn't a warm, comforting embracing feeling either. It was so fiery hot that it felt cold. Inojin must've said something to him after Halloween, and that's why Boruto was suddenly pulling away. But, Boruto Uzumaki did what he wanted, so why did Inojin's words have such a big effect on him? There _had_ to be more to the story. There was something else going on.

Deep down, Sarada had always known Boruto made an exception for her. Constantly. He obviously was well aware this entire time too. So now that he checked himself and the special treatment was over, for some reason it hurt more than she thought it would.

"Boruto…" She said quietly. "What's going on? You know you can talk to me, right?"

Boruto looked back at her again, his expression unreadable. "What makes you think I'd want to talk to you?"

Sarada let go of his sleeve. So he really meant it now.

He let out a long breath. "You said to stop giving you special treatment, and you're right. I should. When people get close to me, they get hurt. So, this is for your own good; it's better for you to hate me. A girl like you shouldn't be close to a guy like me."

With that, he walked forward without looking back. Sarada clenched her fists and darted into the hall. Personal feelings aside, screw that bullshit, they still had student council work to be done and he was walking away _again_!

"But we're not done with the paperwork yet!"

"I have somewhere to be." Boruto said, and left without another word.

The walk home was chilly, Boruto wouldn't deny. But, what made it even worse is instead of turning left to head to his neighborhood, he went right. He couldn't let the hurt look of Sarada's face keep replaying through his mind, he had business to take care of.

The Akimichi house was looking as stunning as ever, which was no surprise. Choji surprisingly had a keen eye for home exterior and frequently trimmed the decorative bushes outside, albeit being covered in melted snow. The pathway up to the porch were the most questionable steps Boruto had ever taken, but without hesitation, he knocked.

Karui answered the door moments later, and she greeted Boruto cheerfully. It had been a while since he had come over, so she was delighted to see him again. The Akimichi's liked him, and were definitely less intimidating than the Uchiha's. It was almost too easy for Boruto to get people to like him. That's why he liked Sarada. She actually tested people's will and true character before making a judgement.

"Boruto!" Chocho came around the corner, seeming impishly content that he had shown up. He put on his best smile.

"Hey, Cho. Came to give you your homework you forgot today."

"Oh wow, you're so sweet!" She said, and Karui left them alone.

Chocho guided Boruto through her huge maze of a house to her room, where it was filled with empty potato chip bags, but everything else was impeccably clean. She locked the door behind them, and she grinned

"Student council ended early, huh?"

"You could say that." Boruto said, looking around her room. She had changed some of her pictures – mostly ones with Sarada in them – and gotten a new stuffed animal. The amount of time Boruto and Chocho had spent here was almost ridiculous, and he would think with all their distractions he wouldn't remember what pictures she had hung up on the walls, but he did. And it was blatant that she was slowly erasing Sarada from her life.

"So?" Chocho said expectantly. "Sit down. Relax."

The air was tense, Boruto could feel Chocho knew something wasn't right, but played it off well. She was rather perceptive which made her perfect at reading people and hitting their weak spots. That's why she was the top mean girl of the school. People wanted Chocho to like them so they wouldn't be ruined socially. Truly, her and Boruto were a match made in hell.

He sat down on her bed, and slowly Chocho approached him. She trailed her fingers up his arm to the strap of his bag and slipped it over his head. Discarding his satchel to the side, she pushed him down on her bed, trailing a finger down his uniform.

"Don't act so tough." She said, "I know you love this."

He said nothing, and Chocho leaned closer. Their lips were only inches apart; if Boruto even moved they would be touching. Chocho smirked, and made the connection.

The kiss was desperately deep, and his hands roamed down her body. She pushed her hips into him harder and dug her fingers through his hair. Their tongues swirled as he secured his hand on her lower back, and she let out a desperate noise. Oh, what a thrill this used to give him.

Chocho broke their touch, and traced a finger down his cheek.

"I knew you'd come. You always do."

This time, it was Boruto's turn to smirk widely. What a bold statement. Boruto Uzumaki did not rebound back to old flames.

"Y'know, I'm actually not here for the reason you think I am."

Chocho scowled and leaned back on his torso, confusion evident in her eyes. "What do you mean?"

He leaned up on his elbows. "I honestly thought about letting you go through with it, because who doesn't want head?" His expression went neutral. "But, I came to tell you that I'm done with _you_, and all the rumors and the lies and our _pretend_ hookups. Our whole relationship is fake, and I'm over it. I've been nothing but a game to you since we started this."

Chocho was completely taken aback. She slid off his lap, her hands dangling at her sides uselessly. "Wh-What? N-No, Boruto, really, you haven't been. I swear. I actually do really like you, and I only act this way because I thought you liked it–"

"Cho," Boruto stopped her, "stop. I've already made up my mind. I don't want to be your pretend hookup buddy anymore. I'm not the one you actually want to be with, I'm just someone with a memorable name. You don't know _me_," He took her hand, "and I don't want you to stay caught up with me when I don't feel the same way about you that you do for me."

Chocho scowled, her mind scrambling for reasons to protest, but she had none. "But why?" She muttered.

"I'm just plain sick of being like this. It's getting old. We can't keep playing these childish games with each other and wasting time. It's not benefitting either of us anymore."

There was a long silent pause, then finally Chocho sat on the edge of her bed, speechless. Boruto gathered his bag. Before he went and opened her door, he looked back.

"Earlier, your dress did look very pretty, by the way." He said. She looked up at him, a prominent sadness swirling in her eyes.

Slowly, he leaned forward, and placed the very last kiss on her lips. There was something sentimental about it knowing that was it for the rest of their lives, but Boruto had bigger and better things to move onto. He had Sarada to thank for that...for truly opening his eyes to the cage he had been trapping himself in.

So with that, he left.

Chocho fell back on her bed, completely unsure of what to do. Boruto had just said to move on because he didn't want to be with her. This _had_ to be because of another girl, she just knew it. She frowned. What a horrible human. Leading her on like that then just dumping her?! Ohh, he'd definitely regret this later. _No_ one told Chocho Akimichi no. After getting his fill of whatever girl he was messing with now, he'd come crawling back to her. _Guaranteed_.

So, for now, she would wait.

**XxX**

The next Friday night, Boruto's legs were thrown over the edge of Mitsuki's bed, his hand elbow deep in a bag of potato chips, headsets on, and their controllers clacking endlessly. Mitsuki's dad was out of town again, so Boruto was planning on staying the night. They had found some leftover Bud Light's in the bottom drawer of the fridge, so were occasionally sipping on one between kills.

As the next round started, Boruto sighed.

"Do you think I was leading Sarada on?"

Online gaming wasn't able to pause, but Mitsuki's character stopped in his tracks regardless. Obviously, the question had come as quite a surprise, though Mitsuki's expression didn't stray any emotion.

"That's a random question."

Boruto kept his gaze focused on the screen. "Inojin just told me I was leading her on even though I wasn't meaning to."

"Okay, so since when did you start taking advice from Inojin?"

Boruto laughed. "Yeah, I dunno. It's weird."

"What_ I_ think," Mitsuki took a sip of his drink, "is Inojin has his relationship with Himawari, you have yours with Sarada. You need to start thinking for yourself and stop listening to what everyone else is saying."

Boruto's character died, and he set his controller down as he respawned. "What do you mean?"

Mitsuki smiled. "You know what I mean. What works for Inojin won't always work for you. You know Sarada, so you wouldn't ever intentionally hurt her like that."

Boruto blew a strand of hair out of his face. He really needed a haircut. "Yeah, well, dunno about that one. I've been blowing her off lately."

"Why? 'Cause of what Inojin said?"

He shrugged. "I guess."

Mitsuki set his controller down. "Don't be stupid, now. Do _you_ feel like you were leading Sarada on?"

"I don't think I was."

"Have you asked her if _she_ felt like you were leading her on?"

"No…"

"Do you have feelings for her?"

"What's with the interrogation?" Bortuo snipped. Mitsuki smiled.

"I just think you're just scared to have feelings again, and Sarada's been the only one to bring them out of you lately."

Boruto glared at his friend, shoved a handful of potato chips in his mouth, and grumbled as he looked back at the TV. "Shut up."

Mitsuki was smiling all smugly and Boruto wanted to punch that damn expression right off his face. He honestly had never taken the time to define his and Sarada's relationship in his head. They were friends, then they were enemies. Then friends again, then enemies. He really didn't know where they stood, and what Inojin said about Boruto being inconsistent with his feelings was exactly the reason why.

Maybe both Inojin and Mitsuki had some points. Maybe Boruto was too scared to define anything, because he didn't want to completely shut down the idea of him and Sarada being a thing, but he never wanted to allude to the fact that he would be interested in the first place. It was a weird, awkward middle ground that he didn't know how he got himself into. It wasn't that Sarada wasn't his_ type _physically_, _just her mere angelic presence, unbeatable intelligence, and pure heart of gold was enough to send someone like him running. She was so pure.

Boruto didn't deserve Sarada Uchiha. Never in a million years would he unless he really changed his ways.

"I think you guys would be cute together." Mitsuki gave him an impish smile once the round was over. "So stop making excuses about how traumatized you are and just talk to her again. You're a miserable limp dick without her."

Boruto kicked Mitsuki off the side of the bed.

**XxX**

Things still hadn't rekindled between Sarada and Boruto since that day, and weeks had passed now. Thanksgiving was this coming Thursday, and Sarada was stressed to the brim with gathering food donations that would be donated to different shelters across their state. Homeless shelters, women shelters, drug rehabilitation centers, and any place that needed money for the upcoming holidays. She and all the other class representatives had been campaigning all week about it, and she was about to collapse from exhaustion. It was a good distraction from the disappointing ending between her and Boruto, and even though it wasn't a breakup of any sort, it sure felt like one.

After school on Wednesday, Boruto brought his donations to the teacher's lounge. He had raised a considerable amount which was impressive, one being from his father that specifically stated on the check. Sarada's own father had also donated an undisclosed amount, but remained anonymous. Two types of people. Naruto Uzumaki truly was on a different planet.

Once their donations were counted and collected, they were released for Thanksgiving break. Sarada went to grab her textbooks so she could do homework over the break, and Itachi came to pick her up. As she dashed through the front entrance, she saw Boruto talking to a girl next to the stairs, and he glanced up as she ran by, but her footsteps didn't falter.

Apparently, her grandparents from both sides were coming for the holiday, as were Shisui, Madara, and Obito. They were all related somehow through the Uchiha bloodline, but it was all too complicated that Sarada just called them her uncles too. She vividly remembered Shisui living with Itachi for a while until he was financially stable, then ever since then she hadn't heard much from him.

With being an only child and having hardly any cousins around her same age, that meant holidays were rather boring and she always had to listen to the whole politics-religion-family drama at the dinner table, then proceeded to be questioned if she had a boyfriend, where she wanted to go to college, what she wanted to study, and etcetera. It was the same thing every single year, and although she thoroughly enjoyed seeing her distant family, it didn't make it drag on any less miserably.

The best part was, though, is that all of them had dogs that they always brought to family events, so there Sarada was on Thanksgiving day on Itachi's kitchen floor in dog heaven. All of the dogs were ecstatic to see her, jumping and shedding and drooling all over her nice outfit but she didn't care. Dogs were the best. She loved hugging those giant balls of fluff.

So far, the talk of the dining table was Shisui's new girlfriend he had brought. Her, Shisui, Rin, and Sakura were preparing the dishes in the kitchen, all while Itachi, Sasuke, Madara and Obito were whispering amongst themselves at the table, constantly glancing in their direction. Madara and Obito's kids were sitting in the living room having some "adult" conversation that Sarada wasn't interested in the slightest. They were all in their older teens and early twenties, so for Sarada to be only fifteen left her in the dust quite often by the older cousins. But, being the youngest grandchild, she was spoiled relentlessly by Mikoto and Fugaku. So it had its pros and cons.

After her boredom became too extreme, Sarada joined everyone at the table. Itachi smiled at her.

"Hungry?"

"Kinda." She said. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Apparently Shisui's girlfriend is an undergraduate at Yale." Obito said. "Who would've known he could get someone that smart?"

"Oh, you guys!" Rin came over and hugged Obito around his back. "Stop being so hard on him. He's finally happy, look at him."

As everyone looked over, they saw the large smile that was apparent on Shisui's face as he held his girlfriend's hand. Sarada smiled. It was nice seeing Shisui happy for once. Him and Itachi were very similar since they had grown up very close to the same age. Shisui had spent even longer dwindling and switching his major, so by the time Itachi was on his feet Shisui had just barely decided what he wanted to do with his life.

But, now that he was in his late thirties and had found a girlfriend, Sarada wondered if Itachi felt left out at all. He was the only one now who didn't have a significant other or any kids. Curiously, she looked over at him. He had the same soft expression resting on his face as usual. Huh. So maybe it didn't bother him.

The food was ready, and everyone sat down and began eating. Of course, all the dogs sat at the table with their noses in everyone's lap just waiting for food, and Sarada even snuck Itachi's dog Tobi a tiny piece of turkey. The rest of the dinner went by smoothly, and once everyone was done, Sarada helped her mother, aunt Rin, and her grandmother clean everything up.

Sakura was ready to go, but Sasuke was nowhere to be found. Curiously, Sarada went in search of him upstairs while her mother looked downstairs. Sarada saw Itachi's door was cracked open, and there was talking. It was definitely her dad's voice, and she went to push the door open, but stopped.

"–how many treatments you have left?"

"They don't." Itachi responded. "That's–"

Sasuke held a hand up to stop him, and looked towards the door. "Who's there?"

Sarada gulped. Sheepishly, she pushed the door open. Sasuke looked unfazed, while Itachi looked rather surprised.

"Treatments for what?" She asked.

"My hair." Itachi said. "I'm showing your dad how luscious and shiny his hair could look if he went to the same stylist as me."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and unfolded his arms. He began walking towards Sarada and put a hand on her shoulder to lead her out of the room. "My hair is just fine, thank you," then looked to Sarada, "and I taught you not to eavesdrop." He looked back to Itachi. "Itachi, we'll be going now."

"Really, Sasuke. You should consider getting a deep condition." Itachi smiled as they left. He was then left alone in his bedroom, and his cheerful expression dropped.

What a large, empty house he lived in all by himself.

In the car, Sarada dared not peep a word. She already crossed a boundary she had been taught since she was little. She was sure she was going to be grounded for this, but Sasuke never instigated any conversation about a punishment the whole ride home, so Sarada just knew he was going to do it later.

Even when they got home, Sarada sat on her bed waiting for that knock, . It never came, though, and she was rather shocked her dad was letting her off the hook like this. Maybe because she was older and knew she did something wrong, so therefore didn't need a scolding?

Either way, it was fishy, but Sarada was going to take whatever mercy from her father she could get. Without the scolding, that gave her an extra half hour of her night, and she had put it in her calendar to be sad over the situation with Boruto for ten minutes then to get over it, so she was now ahead of schedule for the night.

School didn't progress any more exciting the following Monday – the very last day of November, though Sarada had noticed Chocho wasn't hanging around Boruto at all anymore, and even he was hardly seen throughout the day until student council. Chocho solely hung out with her posse and terrorized the school like usual, just without rumors of Boruto following behind her every step. Every time Chocho looked at him, there was hurt behind her gaze. Sarada had been her friend for over a decade; she still knew Chocho like the back of her hand. So that only begged the question of _what happened between them?_

After school, Boruto was late to student council. It was slightly relieving because Sarada still couldn't face him right now with her rollercoaster of feelings. This falling out had been different than all the other ones. There wasn't a big fight, no yelling, just Boruto being done and walking away and that was that. No violins to conclude an ending, no dramatic backstory, nothing but the end. And that had to be the hardest thing for Sarada was the lack of clarity.

Sighing, Sarada had pulled out her precalculus textbook and worked on some homework while she waited. Who even knew if Boruto would show up tonight, she wouldn't blame him if he didn't. She only got through a few problems before she got stuck. Staring helplessly at her paper whilst tapping her pencil mercilessly against the paper, she walked through her steps again. Lightly treading her pencil against the paper, she rewrote the problem.

"So...nine ln five plus...ln four...over two ln five...four equals two ln two…"

She nearly flung from her seat when someone grabbed her pencil and wrote down the answer and circled it.

"T equals nine two plus ln two over ln five." Boruto said, tossing her pencil down and plopping into the seat adjacent from her. "Now let's get shit done! I'm tired as hell."

Sarada had so many questions. Her brain was scattered everywhere until it finally landed on a thought.

"W-W-Wait, how did you do that? You're not even in pre-calculus!"

"I'm in calculus, sweetheart." Boruto winked at her. Sarada puffed her cheeks out.

"You can't take calculus as a sophomore, stupid! You're in algebra two!"

"So what? I got the answer for you, now you owe me some ice cream."

Sarada's jaw dropped, and Boruto cackled loudly. She was too caught up in their banter that she didn't realize that for whatever cosmic reason, without hesitation, they were back to normal. _Their_ normal.

Since there wasn't much going on for their student council duties, Boruto ended up sitting there explaining logarithms to her, walking through each problem step by step. Apparently, the standard way they taught in school wasn't clicking in her head which is why she was struggling so much, so Boruto changed his teaching method. It was as if a lightbulb poofed above her head as she caught on rather quickly after that, and soon was finishing her math assignment by herself. Boruto leaned an elbow on the table, cheek in his palm as he watched amused as she let out the most victorious fist pump. She was so endearing.

He had missed this so much.

"Wow! This is so easy!"

"You're welcome." Boruto smiled wholeheartedly. Sarada looked over and saw the soft expression on his face and she suddenly halted. Boruto quickly pushed back his chair, swinging his satchel over his shoulder, then waved goodbye.

"You can pay me back later." He winked, then left. Sarada was dragged from her stupor and she gasped.

"I'm not buying you ice cream!"


	7. VII: Bonjour

There was a clacking of controller buttons.

"Soo...you and Sarada?"

Some shooting noises, and yelling in the background.

"Mhm?"

A grenade blew up their surroundings.

"Are you guys...hanging out again?"

More gunshots.

"Eh, I guess."

More clacking of the analog stick.

"Like...just as friends?"

Swear words over the headset.

"Yeah."

The Xbox was shut off. Boruto snapped his head over to Inojin.

"What was that for?"

"We're not playing anymore until you explain yourself."

Boruto fell back onto his bed with a loud, exasperated sigh. "What am I supposed to explain?"

Inojin folded his arms. "Don't play dumb. Did you get bored of Chocho again?"

"What? No," Boruto snorted, "we're long done." He heard Himawari's footsteps coming down the hall, meaning she was done getting ready. Boruto sat back up, thanking the stars he didn't have to try and explain his process to Inojin, who probably wouldn't approve anyway even if it was a good reason.

Himawari knocked then entered, beaming.

"You ready?" She asked cheerfully.

"Yep," Inojin cast Boruto one last glance, and left the room.

Apparently they were headed to some festive holiday activity at the mall. It was quite early for a cloudy Saturday, already being nine-thirty AM. Himawari must've wanted to be first in line since the mall didn't open until ten. Boruto turned his Xbox back on and rejoined the party once they finished up their game, resting the headset over his ears.

"_Bro you totally left us!" _Iwabee said.

"Sorry," Boruto readjusted the microphone. "Inojin had to leave. I'm about to get off, too."

"_Where are _you_ going?" _Iwabee asked.

"Back to sleep, fuck you think?" Boruto yawned for good measure, then exited. "Later, guys."

Without waiting to hear their protests, he turned off the headset along with the console. He wanted to take a nap, then head over to Mitsuki's later. So that's exactly what he did.

Mitsuki had a pizza in the oven when Boruto walked through the door. He took a long whiff and sighed in content.

"You know me so well!"

Mitsuki smiled as Boruto slid up to the counter, setting his keys and wallet atop the marble.

"I have to run to the store to get some more groceries for when my dad gets home, do you mind coming with me?"

"Not at all, dude." Boruto scrolled through his social media absentmindedly. Chocho had posted a new selfie, his friend (that he basically considered his cousin) Shinki posted something about school, he watched some soccer highlights that popped up on his timeline, scrolled past some throwback pictures of girls in bikinis and some super nice foreign cars, then Iwabee had posted a total flex picture of his biceps, and Boruto commented on it. _Wow bro youre so hot._

"Inojin was at your house this morning, right?" Mitsuki asked, readying his oven mitts as if he was nervous to reach into the oven. His antics were so strange sometimes but he was Boruto's best friend so he didn't care. As long as they could make fun of each other and not get offended, they were solid.

"Yeah, he took Hima to some Christmas festival thing at the mall."

"Does it feel weird that it's _him_?"

Boruto glanced up at his friend. Mitsuki was giving him a look that only they understood. The air between them became serious.

"I try not to pay attention." Boruto looked down at the counter, unable to maintain eye contact.

Mitsuki stared at his friend for a long time. The oven beeped, and he pulled the pizza out and set it atop the stovetop to cool.

"Does he ever _act_ weird?" Mitsuki asked, still curious, but treading lightly.

"Surprisingly no." Boruto said.

Mitsuki raised a brow as he delicately sliced the pizza into triangles.

"Interesting."

"Yeah, but anyway," Boruto opened up his golfing game while Mitsuki handed him a plate. "what time is your dad coming home?"

"Late. I want to make sure I have his favorite foods in case he's hungry when he gets here." Mitsuki tried to hide his bashful smile as he spoke.

Boruto looked up from his phone and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. It was precious to see how much Mitsuki cared for his dad, even though it was hard not to resent the fact that Orochimaru was gone frequently. Boruto wished he could be as caring of a son as Mitsuki, for when Naruto finally came home he barely glanced in his dad's direction. There were the unfortunate circumstances that his dad just didn't pay attention or put any energy into being invested. Naruto was stuck asking about Boruto's middle school football days and Himawari's elementary school piano recitals.

Of course, Mitsuki only let his emotions soften around Boruto – sometimes Shikadai – but kept them locked away from everyone else. From what the two had been through together, they were in this life together through thick and thin.

"You wanna go after we eat then?" Boruto asked with a mouthful of pizza.

Mitsuki nodded, slipping onto the barstool next to Boruto, his mouth practically salivating for the food. "Mhm."

Boruto laughed.

**XxX**

Mitsuki had made sure the whole fridge, pantry, and spices were organized. It was rare his dad would come home for one night then go back out for business. He wanted to be positive that his dad could easily find everything if he wanted to make a meal, or have a snack before he left in the morning.

Eagerly, Mitsuki waited at the counter, puttering around. To say he was simply anxious would be an understatement. His dad hadn't been home for a while, and Mitsuki had been working hard in school and wanted to really prove he was still working hard even with his absence. The report card was laid out nicely on the counter in case Orochimaru wanted to take a look at it and see how hard his son was working. All Mitsuki craved from his father was to be acknowledged. Orochimaru worked hard, and Mitsuki wanted to prove that he did too.

Moving from the counter barstool, to looking in the fridge, to the living room couch, Mitsuki soon found himself drifting off in a lightweight state of rest; the house deadly silent besides the occasional creak from the wind outside. It was so zen and peaceful, Mitsuki's mind began to dream. It wasn't until he heard the door unlock around two AM that he rose immediately. His heart pounded with excitement.

Orochimaru struggled through the front door, suitcases clattering behind him. Mitsuki brushed the crumbs off his pants and gently came around the corner so as to not startle him.

"Welcome home, father." Mitsuki said with a smile. Orochimaru looked at him surprised.

"Mitsuki, why are you still up?"

"I wanted to see you got home safe."

Orochimaru patted Mitsuki's head as he walked past. He could tell his father was exhausted. His eyes were dark and baggy, his shoulders were slouched, and his breaths were slow and exasperated. Mitsuki tentatively followed behind his father, glancing at his report card on the counter. He hoped Orochimaru looked at it.

"I went grocery shopping today, if you're hungry I can make you something–"

"I am exhausted. I'm just going to sleep; for I have to wake up early. You have school tomorrow, you should be in bed."

Mitsuki stopped in his tracks. Orochimaru walked down the long hallway to his bedroom and shut the door behind him without another word. Mitsuki's head dropped.

"Yeah...my apologies."

With one last glance to the report card, Mitsuki retreated to his room.

**XxX**

For one to describe Boruto Uzumaki as consistent was quite a laughable matter. He was grounded in the sense that he had strict boundaries and set opinions, sure, but to the point of changing his mind every day? Absolute madness. He was the consistency of applesauce. This past week was solid proof of that. Even taking into consideration his astrological sign accomplished nothing. Earth could still be unstable. He was more like an oscillating roller coaster full of twists, turns, surprises, and certainly loop de loops. Literally _nothing_ could surprise Sarada at this point, especially when he walked into homeroom next Tuesday morning with the most piss poor attitude he'd had in a while.

"Forget creamer in your coffee this morning?" Sarada asked.

"More like the coffee itself." Boruto slumped into a desk in the front row while Sarada wrote Mr. Aburame's name on the chalkboard. There was a light blanket of fresh snow outside, so Boruto kicked the remaining weather off his shoes against his desk. "I'm fucked."

"Why?"

"I have an essay due."

"For what?"

"French."

"You mean the one that was due yesterday?"

"Yep."

"Serious?"

"Yep."

"And you didn't do it?"

"Nope."

"Boruto!"

"You _know_ I'm bad at translating." Boruto whined, plopping into his seat. "It's the worst thing ever! I don't get language semantics. Why the hell are transitive verbs necessary? Just say 'I threw dog ball'. This shit is more complicated than it needs to be."

Sarada giggled. "Ooh, someone's frustrated."

"Well, I won't be, because you're going to write it for me."

"What?!" Sarada exclaimed, almost dropping the eraser still caked with chalk. "I'm not writing a whole paper in French for you! No way."

Boruto was offended. "I literally helped you with your entire math assignment."

"Yeah, and we went out on Friday and I repaid you with ice cream! Besides, I didn't _ask_ you to help me, so therefore I don't owe you anything. You helped me out of the kindness in your heart." Sarada said flatly, and turned to the chalkboard. She heard Boruto's soft footsteps bad behind her, and she shook her head, a bemused smile on her expression. She began to turn around. "Boruto, I'm–"

He was suddenly dangerously close, and all the words disappeared from her mouth. He had a mischievous glint in his eye, one hand propped over her head, and she was flat against the board. Her heart was pounding and her face felt burning hot.

"_Qu'en est-il de la gentillesse dans ton coeur?"_ He spoke smoothly, and Sarada tilted her head, pursed lips, a challenging smile on her face.

"Your pronunciation needs work."

He smirked. "I'll be over at eight."

The whole day had been filled with a giddy anticipation Sarada had never felt before. She was nervous, but why? It was just Boruto. They had been slaves to each other since the first day of school, nothing had changed. Yet, each time he would glance over at her in the middle of French class to catch her staring off into space which just so happened to be in his direction, he would wink, and it would send a transpiring mass of butterflies through her stomach.

It made no sense. Boruto was outright flirting with her now after declaring complete isolation and, to reiterate exactly what he said in the first week of November, _"it's better for you to hate me. A girl like you shouldn't be close to a guy like me." _Sarada called complete bullshit. He was toying with her. He had to be. No guy outright told a girl to stay away from him then deliberately chased after her a month later. Either he was mental, or this was some kind of prank. She questioned daily if how quickly they fell back into their "normal" was real life or if it was just a fantasy.

Regardless, Sarada kept her cool throughout student council, as it ended up being quite short and to the point as they had already taken down all the November decorations and hadn't started planning the Winter Ball yet even though it was in two weeks.

As Boruto left the room, he reminded her that he'd be over at eight, and she got flustered all over again. She was getting mad at herself. Acting like a little school girl with a crush was so embarrassing. Usually she was much more level-headed and logical than this. Having a crush on Boruto?! Never in a million years.

She had to shake it off and get over herself, she could never like someone like Boruto anyway. They'd _always_ been mortal enemies, there was no changing that regardless of how much time they spent together or flirted with each other. She was being unreasonable. No sane guy went from declaring war one day to deciding the next things would just magically go back to normal. Is this what being delusional felt like, like when Chocho fell head over heels for Boruto in a single night? Or was Sarada overthinking everything? She really had to ask him what was going on in that head of his.

Pushing her glasses up her nose, Sarada grabbed her math textbook and met her uncle Itachi at the main entrance. Apparently, her nerves were apparent, as Itachi asked right away what happened. Sarada stumbled over her words.

"W-Well, Boruto needs help with a paper, so he's coming over later so I can help him."

Itachi gave her an all-knowing side eye, and she desperately tried to ignore him. Wow, stop signs and dead trees were so interesting.

"So, is this something new?"

"What?"

"You and Boruto."

"We're not anything. I think Chocho dumped him so he's just bored." Sarada was more trying to convince herself than Itachi. Although she had to admit, things had been different between them lately, she would never say that out loud.

"How did this happen?"

"Well…" Sarada had no solid answer. Boruto changed his mind so often they could be back to square one tomorrow. Who knew.

Sarada moved onto other matters, such as asking about Itachi's work, and he dropped her off. He wasn't staying tonight, for reasons he wouldn't disclose, but Sarada was grateful for the time she had with him.

Watching the clock felt like an olympic sport. Boruto had been in Sarada's house before, but her Uchiha was coming out and she was inspecting every crevice and fabric in the whole downstairs. Her mom dropped a single lone crumb from a muffin on the counter and Sarada hurriedly threw it in the trash and disinfected the area. It was ridiculous. Her dad was off somewhere to do business while her mom was watching her television shows in her room upstairs. Sarada supposed no boys were allowed in her room (she'd never brought boys over, so how would she know?) so thus she made the living room and kitchen as presentable as possible.

At exactly eight-o'-two, a knock rasped on the door. Sarada had been calming her anxieties by reading and listening to Coldplay, but in that three seconds all her self-soothing went out the window. Oh god. Did her hair look okay? She never cared about her hair before this. Her extensions were tangled, but there was no time to brush her hair now. Dear lord. She was a mess.

Sliding to the door in her sock-clad feet, she let Boruto in. He had on a windbreaker jacket and his cheeks were tinged red. Sarada looked out and didn't see a car drive off.

"Did you walk here?"

"Yeah! It's warm out."

Sarada's mouth dropped in disbelief, and Boruto cackled. "I'm joking. I brought my laptop." She snorted comically.

"Oh good. Do you want some tea?"

"Please."

"Chamomile or peppermint?"

"Peppermint." Boruto said, sitting on the couch and setting his laptop on his legs. Before he came over, there was an attempt to write his paper, but honest to God he had no idea where to start. Google translator was no help, and even the little owl from Duolingo threatening him to study was no motivator either. So, Sarada was his last resort.

"Okay, so what's your topic on?" Sarada asked as she brought snacks and two cups of tea to the coffee table and sat next to Boruto. He opened up his essay which had his name, date, and the title and a huge blank space beneath that. Boruto handed her a piece of paper that stated all the instructions.

"Explain how French has influenced art and culture around the world providing examples, direct quotes, and references. Three pages double spaced." She read.

"Can I just copy the essay you wrote?" Boruto drawled out. Sarada glared at him.

"No."

"You hate me." He whined.

"It's easy, all you have to do is write the essay in English, then translate it to French. You got this, come on."

Boruto let out a dramatic sigh. He read aloud as he typed. _"The French culture is imperative in this society, most prominently in mine because without it I couldn't make my awesome lemon meringue pies."_ Sarada smacked him, and with a grin he kept going. _"I am a gifted chef, I could be the next ratatouille."_

"His name is Remy!"

"Same difference," Boruto said, then kept typing. _"Without this culture, where would we be without crepes, mousse, and most importantly croissants? In this essay I will–"_

Sarada was keeled over in laughter. Boruto stopped typing and chuckled with her.

"This is why I can't write essays!"

Sarada wiped away her happy tears and gathered her wits. "Oh god, I'm dying. What if you turned it in like that?"

"Hell no." Boruto laughed, then got down to business. He added in references to famous French art, quoting Napoleon, and soon enough the essay turned into a strong, solid paper. Sarada was colored impressed by his eloquent writing.

"Wow. You..."

Boruto smirked. "Now to translate this shit. _La culture française est impérative dans cette société..."_

"Try to add more of a smoother sound in _française,_" Sarada instructed. "Like, you're saying _friend_ and _won_ at the same time."

Their play became business, and soon the whole essay was translated with Boruto smoothly reading each sentence. Sarada read over it to proofread and catch any grammatical errors, and soon there was a brilliant paper sitting in front of them on the screen.

"Truly genius."

Boruto beamed. "I'm smart!"

Sarada snorted. "So is she going to give you full credit on this?"

Boruto shrugged. "Probably not."

Sarada shook her head. Hopeless. It had been enjoyable, nonetheless. She had been adequately entertained watching Boruto take writing so seriously. Her nerves had significantly calmed, and both their teacups were empty. She offered to refill it, but it was close to eleven, and they had school tomorrow. So, with that, he put his shoes and jacket back on and slung his bag over his shoulder. Sarada frowned. She had gotten so caught up in the moment that she forgot to ask him why he'd been so hot and cold with her lately.

"Are you sure you'll be okay walking home? I can ask my mom to give you a ride."

"No no, it's alright. It's a five minute walk."

"But it's cold outside."

"I have to go." Boruto laughed, opening the door. She followed him out onto the doorstep. She shivered at the sudden cold. "I'll see you tomorrow okay? Thanks for helping me."

"Of course." Sarada said, and he pulled her in for their habitual hug. It was tight, warm, and eased all of her worries about him walking alone in the dark. She had missed _this_.

It appeared to have started snowing, as small flakes glistening and flurrying around them, reflecting the dim light casting tiny rainbows in every direction. It was an ethereal sight; Sarada felt like she was in paradise.

Boruto pulled away and just for a moment, they held each other's gaze. With Boruto looking at her like that, she felt a soft tingling in her chest that made her heart flutter. She had never _felt_ this close to him before, and slowly, they gravitated towards each other. The lump in her throat ached, she could hear her heartbeat roaring in her ears, the snow still whirled around them, and a soft glittering light adorned the blues of Boruto's eyes. Boruto's long delicate eyelashes fluttered, and Sarada swore she lost her breath as their lips almost touched. They were so close…

A sharp gust of wind blew past them, immediately making Sarada jump with a gasp. She suddenly remembered she was freezing in a short-sleeve shirt, and Boruto wrapped his arms around her again.

"Go get warm." He said softly against her head. It didn't seem like a kiss to the forehead, but it sure felt like one the way her skin went cold when their contact broke. He smiled, and she went back into the house.

Sarada waited until he was on the sidewalk before she shut and locked the door. Her hands were shaking. One, they were freezing, but the other, the aftermath of her nerves was hitting her. Falling against the door, Sarada took a deep breath and shivered.

Maybe asking him all these questions didn't matter. What was more telling was being here in the moment – his actions and his words in the _now_; and that enough was confirmation for Sarada.

This was crazy. She was falling for Boruto Uzumaki.

**XxX**

Wednesday, Boruto was late to homeroom, and Mr. Aburame let him off with a warning. He slid into his seat, throwing his satchel on his desk. His dress shoes and the bottom of his pants were wet and damp, and Sarada vaguely wondered if he had walked to school. Not that it was very far – probably about a twenty minute walk from their houses – but Hinata always gave him and Himawari a ride every morning, or recently Boruto had been showing up with Shikadai in the newly gifted car he had gotten as a very late sixteenth birthday present.

Once break time came, Boruto dashed from the classroom, taking his bag with him, and Sarada's curiosity was severely piqued. He didn't seem skittish like he was in trouble – more like a busy bee. Even Inojin and Metal seemed intrigued, for they turned to her in question.

"How should I know?" She laughed. "You're his friends."

"He hasn't talked to us lately." Metal said. "He never hangs out with us anymore."

Sarada furrowed her brows. "Really?"

Inojin shrugged. "He didn't even come to our party last Friday."

Last Friday...that was when they went out for ice cream. They had honestly been there quite late, until about six-thirty, so he still could've gone to the party. The fact that he hadn't even mentioned it was strange. Boruto had always been the life of the party and wanted to be the center of attention anywhere he went, yet instead of going, he went out with her. Sarada didn't know what to think. But by the look Inojin was giving her, he knew exactly why Boruto hadn't been talking to them lately.

In the student council, Sarada was doing her homework amongst the other students waiting for Boruto to arrive. Suddenly, the door burst open, and he slammed a paper on the table in front of her. She jumped, but then read the red markings at the top. _82%._

"You passed?!"

"With some bribing." He grinned. "I may have made her a homemade French dessert this morning to _really_ show how much I appreciated her accepting it late. She also said she added a point because the thing I said about Ratatouille was funny, apparently."

"Wow, good job!" Sarada looked over the paper. Only a few things were marked, but she was proud of him. Eighty-two was a good score considering he had everything going against him, but it turned out alright.

"Also," Boruto slid his phone to her, his music app open. "Here's my Winter Ball playlist, so tell me what you think."

Sarada scrolled through his playlist as others were doing the same. Picking songs that were top hits, but clean, but upbeat was hard enough, so that's what the council meeting was all about today. Boruto definitely had a variety of artists ranging from Usher to The Police, rap to country, and fast and slow songs. Sarada pursed her lips.

"Needs more Coldplay."

"Coldplay?" Boruto scoffed, sitting in the chair next to her. "I don't know much of their stuff, so you do it."

"Okay." Sarada said, adding a few of their more upbeat songs to the mix before she was satisfied. "There. Now it's perfect." Scrolling through the playlist one more time, she deadpanned. "You put _Single Ladies _on here?"

Boruto stared at her. "What? It's a good song."

She laughed, shaking her head. There was a silence that followed, and a question popped up in her head. She looked around to make sure no one was paying attention.

"Hey...have you stopped hanging out with your friends?"

Boruto blinked, and glanced around too. "What do you mean?"

"Like Inojin and Metal. They said they had a party last Friday and you didn't go, and that you haven't been talking to them lately."

Boruto shrugged, seemingly not wanting to talk about it, especially in front of the others. "Haven't been in the mood. Been busy with student council. After we went out, I didn't want to go to his party because he'd promised Himawari they'd hang out that night, but he bailed. I ended up taking her somewhere because she was so sad."

"Wait really?"

"Yeah."

"So...are you still iffy about Inojin then?"

He shook his head. "It's not that."

"Well, I mean like...I know you, so there has to be _some_ reason."

"You know, Sarada," Boruto grabbed her face with both palms pressed flat against her cheeks. "you ask a lot of questions."

She huffed, offended, and Boruto laughed. He quickly switched roles, and gained everyone's attention. As a group, they went through the rest of the details about the Winter Ball, jotted down some decoration ideas, and turned it into the teachers lounge then headed to their lockers to grab their things.

Sarada noticed Boruto staring at his phone intently, and he then closed it without a word. She tilted her head, and he gave her a forced smile. Something happened...

"Your uncle picking you up today?" He asked.

"Um, yeah." Her tone was soft. It seemed like there was something else he wanted to say, but he just kept the same expression on his face. Sarada let out a breath. "Is...someone coming to pick you up?"

"Hm? Oh, no, I'm walking to Mitsuki's today."

Sarada gave him a look. "Well...do you need a ride there? You know, I don't want you walking in this cold all the time, especially since I've stolen at least three of your sweaters at this point. So let my uncle give you a ride today."

Boruto shrugged. "Alright."

Itachi's car was idling in the front. Sarada said something to Itachi first, and he leaned down and smiled at Boruto. Boruto, already being amazed at the car's exterior, got in the back, and was shocked. The interior did not disappoint. The seats were genuine leather, the top was customized, and it was impeccably clean. Sarada didn't even seem fazed that her everyday ride switched between a Ferrari, and today a Mercedes-Benz.

"Good to see you again, Boruto. It's been a while."

"Yeah," He said, still in awe with the car. "Aye, is this a G Class?"

"It sure is." He responded.

Damn. Itachi had _money. _Boruto's jaw was almost on the floor.

"That's insane." He kept admiring the inside. Even the way the car accelerated was impeccably smooth, and it seemed all too short when they pulled up in front of Mitsuki's house.

"You know, if you want to come over one day and look at my other cars, I'm sure I could let you take my Ferrari out for a test drive." Itachi said with a sly smile.

Boruto's entire demeanor lit up. "Serious? That would be so dope! I get my license on the twenty-eighth so Sarada you better invite me over!"

Sarada giggled, and Boruto said bye and hopped out of the car. Itachi then drove them to the Uchiha household.

"You never let _anyone_ drive your Ferrari, not even my dad." Sarada nudged Itachi to the side as they walked through the door. He grinned.

"He seems like he'd take care of it."

"Who?" Sasuke walked out of his office. His car was in the driveway, so Sarada had known he was home, but the thought of telling him she and Boruto were hanging out all the time made her uncomfortable. Her mom knew, but she'd rather leave Itachi to take the unthinkingly blunt comments that were sure to follow.

Sasuke and Itachi's conversation continued into the kitchen where Sarada was sorting through her satchel. She had a pre-calculus worksheet, a French essay, four chapters to read in _Pride and Prejudice_, chemistry homework, _and_ she had to pick between two color schemes for the Winter Ball, and it was only Wednesday. It was about five thirty, so she had to get started.

Most of the night was spent in her room drowning in homework. She got her easiest assignments done first so she could spend more time on math and chemistry so no time would be wasted. Around ten, she got a text from Boruto.

**Boruto**

_You pick a color scheme yet? I'm feeling the blue and silver_

_I was thinking the teal and white, _she responded.

**Boruto**

_Those look like wedding colors. No._

Sarada smiled. _It's supposed to be an equal vote_

**Boruto**

_Yeah well everyone who doesn't choose blue and silver is wrong_

_Yeah, whatever_, Sarada sent back, laughing. Much to her surprise, he texted her again.

**Boruto**

_Wyd_

_Homework._

**Boruto**

_Boring but same_

She didn't know what to say, so left it at that. Refocusing on her chemistry, her phone buzzed again a few minutes later.

**Boruto**

_Wow leave me on read_

_I didn't know what to say, _she sent back. He was funny.

**Boruto**

_Well assuming you're still doing homework this late, you're stuck and you need my help_

Sarada laughed. Such an egomaniac. She really didn't need help, memorizing the periodic table was a breeze, but she figured she'd play along anyway. _Wow you'd be right. _

**Boruto**

_I suppose I could take some time out of my night to help you, out of the kindness of my heart_

_My true knight in shining armor._

**Boruto**

_I'll be over in 10 ;)_

Sarada stared at the text, then scrambled to tidy her room. Was Boruto even allowed over this late, let alone in her room at all? She didn't think so, but she didn't want to move all her stuff downstairs, and both her parents and Itachi were gone so it was fine if they didn't know, right?

Boruto called her once he was outside her house, and Sarada slid to the front door. When she opened it, he was wrapped in a light windbreaker and beanie, but his cheeks were still tinted pink from the cold.

"It's fucking cold out here." He deadpanned, and Sarada snorted.

"It's like fifty degrees."

He gave her a look. "Well for _some_ reason, this is the only jacket I have left."

Sarada laughed nervously as he discarded his shoes and coat, quietly following Sarada upstairs. Her homework was scattered across her entire bed, and she shuffled them into a pile to make room for both of them. Boruto sat on her bed and took the textbook.

"The periodic table huh?"

"Yep. The one and only."

She offered to make him tea, which he accepted graciously, and Sarada went downstairs to make it while he went through the flashcards she had already made. Once she got back, he took a sip of tea then quizzed her. Truly, Sarada was brilliant and needed no help whatsoever. To be honest, it was more of a review for Boruto than any help for Sarada, but they made it fun regardless. He enjoyed being in her presence.

"How was Mitsuki's? What'd you guys do?" Sarada asked.

Boruto's expression fell. "Uh, he's fine I guess. I just went to check on him."

Sarada raised a brow. "Oh, is he okay?"

"I mean, uh, he just has a lot of family stuff going on. So it's kind of personal."

"Aw, I'm so sorry." Sarada frowned. "You're a good friend for checking on him."

Boruto shrugged. "He's my closest friend. I would take a bullet for that dude."

Sarada looked back to her homework, and picked her pencil back up. "Well, the next time you see him, tell him I care and hope he's okay!"

Boruto smiled brightly at Sarada, though she wasn't aware. He looped his arm around her neck and yanked her down, making her squeal in surprise.

Midnight was coming up soon. Sarada had finished all her math thanks to Boruto, although they had gotten distracted more than half the time either by talking, playing tic-tac-toe on her soft blanket, or showing each other funny videos. Each time Sarada had been the one to chide him for getting off topic then redirect them to what they should actually be doing. It was a good time, nonetheless, and their loud giggling hadn't disturbed anyone either.

"Shit, I gotta get going." Boruto said, coming down from laughter. "It's way later than I thought."

"Oh, yeah." Sarada said, and they made their way downstairs. "You walking home?"

"Nope. Teleporting." He said sardonically, throwing his arms into his windbreaker, with two other coats he had let Sarada borrow wrapped around his forearm. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Sarada grinned, and he mirrored her expression. Nerves were crawling up her spine and she didn't know why. Maybe because the last doorstep scene they had they almost kissed. Maybe tonight was the night she would get her first kiss.

Boruto pulled her in for a hug, and she reciprocated. Once he pulled away, he smiled softly, then slipped out her front door quietly, running off into the blustery night. There was a pang of disappointment in her chest, but she quickly dismissed it. First kisses were overrated, and she certainly didn't want Boruto to be hers...

Well, she tried to tell herself that as she crawled into bed and pulled the covers over her blushed cheeks.


	8. VIII: Winter Ball

Thursday was normal. No one was late, everyone had rides, everything for the student council was turned in and up to date, the teal and white color scheme had won popular vote, they would start decorating next week, so it was a relatively normal day.

Until, after school Shikadai got threatened by a senior to a drag race and of course all his idiot friends, including Boruto, were egging him on.

It had all started with the Sunday meetups in the local grocery store parking lot. All the cool kids with their overly-expensive fancy cars went there weekly to show off their new modifications and roar their engine for a bit. Basically, it was for the sole purpose of boosting the ego, and Shikadai and Boruto had attended this past Sunday. One of the seniors only saw Shikadai as a useless wannabe, thus sparking a rivalry, then Iwabee had to go and make it twenty times worse.

Apparently today, he had been taking Shikadai's WRX for a joy ride around the parking lot and dented that same senior's back right fender when pulling back into the lot, which in turn, caused the heated fight.

It was absolute mayhem in the parking lot – people from all grades were slowly trickling around to watch the argument. Sarada had been cleaning the classroom in preparation for student council when she had looked out the window and saw the crowd slowly growing. She sprinted out the school entrance and pushed her way to the front.

"Your car can leave him in the dust, so stop being a pussy!" Iwabee said to Shikadai. He looked rather miffed being in the middle of all this.

"Race him with your own car!" Shikadai snapped. "You're the one who gave him a fender bender."

"No, I'm racing with _you_. Since you think your car is hot shit." The senior, Sarada was sure his name was Benny, said. As he took a step closer to the group of boys, Boruto and Mitsuki stood between Benny and Shikadai.

"Shikadai could murk you. Just cause _your_ WRX has pinstripes on it doesn't make it fast." Boruto said. Benny raised an eyebrow.

"Iwabee, just pay for it! Stop trying to make him race!" Denki insisted.

"You're all being so unreasonable," Inojin said.

"No! He parks like shit so he deserved it! Shikadai just do it!" Iwabee shouted back.

"This is such a drag." Shikadai said.

"You're just scared I'll beat you!" Benny said.

"Actually, his mom would kill him if she found out, that's why." Boruto cackled, making Mitsuki smile. Shikadai rolled his eyes.

"Aww, the wittle Nara is scared of his mommy." Benny mocked. A vein in Shikadai's forehead pulsed. Oh dear. Sarada had seen this before. Truly, no one knew the fierceness of Temari, so when someone took it lightly Shikadai was immediately offended. She was one woman to never be trifled with. Only his true close friends were allowed to make fun of his fear for his mother. And Benny did not fit that criteria.

"Hey, Boruto, get in the front seat."

He turned to Shikadai in complete shock, letting out a confused noise. The look in Shikadai's eye was no joke, and Boruto did as he was told. He made eye contact with Sarada before stepping in, and Shikadai followed, roaring his engine to life and reversing through the parting crowd. He pulled up next to Benny.

"End of eighty-nine back to the school parking lot." He said barely below his breath, then rolled his tinted window up. The crowd was exploding with excitement and everyone stampeded to the sidewalk where the race would end, pulling out their phones to record the scene as Shikadai's car disappeared from the view. Oh god. This was such a horrible idea, Sarada felt the wind being knocked out of her.

Benny cackled "watch this" and hopped in his own car and followed with great vigor. She got a text shortly after.

**Boruto**

_Sorry I'll be late today! Shikadai's showing me how to do manual real fast_

Sarada smacked her head. This was hardly the time for Boruto to be learning how to use a stick shift. Why did Boruto need to be in the car? If they were racing wasn't it easier to race with just one person? That text seemed so...weird.

There were minutes of complete silence, everyone waiting to hear the sound of the engines echo to signify their start. Phones were recording and ready, everyone was on edge, and soon the sound hit their ears, everyone began chattering excitedly.

Eighty-nine was the main road to their school with no stop lights and a straight shot, so it was the perfect racing course...when there were no other cars around. Unfortunately, it was patrolled by officers frequently, so they would either be safe this time or very unlucky.

The sound came closer and closer until she could see the dark blue and black cars coming at an incredible speed. She was shocked at how quickly they were coming to the finish line, and everyone's cheers and screams got louder.

Shikadai's car seemed to slow down significantly towards the front of the school, and suddenly, Benny swerved into the right lane, causing Shikadai to slam on his breaks. The tires screeched against the pavement causing a sound worse than nails on a chalkboard. Sarada winced, and Benny raced past the finish line.

Shikadai's car had spun a full one-eighty, so slowly, he drove back into the parking lot as Benny came to an abrupt stop.

"Bitch ass Nara!" He shouted, sitting halfway out of the window frame, "Don't let mommy get you a car you can't even drive!"

"What the hell was that?!" Boruto got out of Shikadai's car in a rage, hair disheveled, breath uneven, and slammed the door. "Swerving into the other lane like that, you tryna get us killed?"

"I won fair and square!" Benny said, and his friend stepped in and shoved Boruto. A full blown fight then broke out. By now, the teachers and the campus security had shown up and began pulling everyone apart. Security was yelling at everyone to go home, and quickly people were cramming into their cars and driving off, not wanting to get in trouble.

Although it was none of Sarada's direct business, she was part of the student council with Boruto and therefore felt somewhat responsible that she hadn't stopped him, so she followed the group of teachers and security that had Boruto, Shikadai, Inojin, Denki, Iwabee, Mitsuki, and Benny's whole group in a herd. Mr. Aburame tried to convince her to go home, but she insisted she stay.

Parents were called, and in less than an hour some were able to show up like Naruto, Shikamaru, and Sai, but most others couldn't due to such short notice. Due to the mass amounts of people, they had to move to the teachers lounge, and Naruto and Shikamaru looked disappointed. Boruto and Shikadai didn't look afraid, though, and Sarada immediately was suspicious.

"Mr. Uzumaki, will you _please_ explain what is going on here and why my faculty is _always_ dragging you and your friends to me." Headmaster Tsunade said. Poor woman. She'd had so much stress this year already.

"Ma'am, in all honesty, we had nothing to do with this." He said, staring her straight in the eye. "The bell rang, and I figured I had some time before student council so Shikadai could show me how to drive a manual. So, we were simply taking a drive around the school block when Benny cut us off. Shikadai had to slam on his breaks and I swear we were gonna crash."

"You liar!" Benny stood up, his dad looming behind him. "Iwabee crashed the car into mine and then dared to race me so he wouldn't have to pay for it!"

"You let Iwabee drive your car?" Shikamaru leaned down to Shikadai. He frowned and shook his head.

"Dad, I swore to you and mom I wouldn't let anyone else drive it. I know I let Boruto in the front seat, and I'm sorry for that, but I usually give him rides in the morning anyway and he's a good passenger."

Sarada's eyes widened. Were they serious…

"No! Iwabee was driving!" Benny insisted.

"Dude, why would I want to drive a WRX? It's trash." Iwabee said. He had a Jaguar, so nothing compared to his car.

"You crashed into my car!"

"More like you were going seventy on a thirty-five and decided to cut us off." Boruto snapped back.

"So _who_ was driving when the crash happened?" Tsunade asked, a finger placed on her temple.

"Me." Shikadai said evenly. "He cut me off, hitting my bumper and his fender, and I slammed on my brakes."

"Why did you cut him off?" Tsunade turned to Benny. His face looked pale.

"We were racing! Check the school cameras, you'll see we were! Everyone has it on video!"

"Why would Shikadai race you with another person in there? Let alone at all? That's not him." Mitsuki said. Benny looked absolutely furious.

"You're all liars! Look!" He grabbed his friend's phone. He had started recording from the time Shikadai's car had disappeared from view, Benny had said "watch this" and pulled out of the parking lot. Soon enough, the engines were heard in the background, and it truly did look like Benny planned to go cut Shikadai off. Sarada put a hand over her mouth. Benny's face fell, and Shikadai and Boruto resisted the urge to smirk.

"So what this video is showing me is that it was planned." Tsunade said, and Benny was absolutely speechless.

"N-No, someone _has_ to have the full video, we were all arguing before! Guys?" He looked to all his friends desperately, but they had all been too preoccupied cheering for him that they never filmed anything before he got in his car. Other people may have more footage, but they weren't here to vouch for him. Benny looked to Headmaster Tsunade, and Naruto and Shikamaru folded their arms.

"Interesting." Naruto said, and Benny trembled.

"Wh-Why would everyone be there unless we were about to race?!"

"Cause school just got out. Duh." Iwabee said.

"W-W-Well, sometimes more weight helps with racing! So Boruto wasn't really learning manual!"

"Actually, I was. You can even ask Sarada." Boruto said, and suddenly all eyes were on her. She gasped, her throat constricting. Oh God. That's what that text was for! And now she was supposed to lie right _now_? This was definitely a position she didn't expect to be in, nor wanted to be, but being involved with Boruto came with repercussions, and this just happened to be one of them. She was completely frozen.

"Is this true?" Tsunade asked. Sarada bit the inside of her cheek. Her reputation was golden; she never lied, she got good grades, she was early to school, always turned her homework in on time, never caused trouble, and for the first time in her life she was having to cover up a lie someone else dragged her into. Boruto was right about himself. He wasn't good news.

But, it would be pointless to try and discredit everything, since their elaborate lie had already been proven true on camera and Boruto was looking at her with pleading in his eyes, so Sarada nodded.

She pulled out her phone and showed Mr. Aburame the text. No wonder it had seemed so cheerful and misplaced. Shikadai had planned this from the moment he asked Boruto to get in his car. He even made sure the "crash" happened right in front of the only camera in the front of the school grounds. He was too freaky genius.

Mr. Aburame nodded to confirm that he was in fact telling the truth, and Benny's face fell. His dad gripped his shoulder tightly.

"Better get a lawyer." Iwabee sneered, but Naruto hushed him.

Everyone was excused from the room. Benny's dad pleaded to Shikamaru and Naruto not to open up a legal case, and that he would cover any damage out of pocket or anything else they wanted. Shikamaru accepted the payment for the bumper and they filed a claim for insurance purposes, but declined all his other offers. Sarada was, at minimum, glad it all got figured out, but was absolutely fuming. Boruto watched her storm out of the room. He got up from his chair and chased after her.

"Sarada! Hey–" He practically tripped down the stairs, his shoes scuffing against the floor as strained forward to grab her arm. "Hey, hey, I'm so sorry I got you involved, okay? That wasn't cool of me."

"Next time you want to come up with some _stupid_ lie, I don't want any part of it!" She yanked from his hold and kept walking, but he grabbed her again.

"Sarada, really, I'm _so_ sorry. It was a tiny white lie, but now we're not in trouble–"

"That's not the _point_, Boruto!" She scowled. "Point is you took advantage of _my_ good reputation and had me lie for you and your stupid friends, and now Benny has the whole blame. I don't like him either, but to humiliate him like that in front of everyone was a horrible thing to do. You were _all_ acting like idiots, so to put it all on him to protect _your_ shitty reputation was selfish."

Boruto's arm fell to his side.

"I'm...sorry."

"Don't say sorry to me." Sarada kept her glare even. After a moment of silence, she said, "Student council is cancelled today. I'm going home."

Boruto watched her walk out the front doors. He fucked up again.

A few beats later, Mitsuki approached him from behind.

"Benny was making such a scene after you left...so to make it fair, they put all of us on probation. So you don't have to worry about going to student council for now."

Boruto kicked the trashcan over as he walked out.

**XxX**

Sarada had temporarily joined the other homeroom's student council for Monday and Tuesday, since Boruto and his friends were put on probation indefinitely. It was crazy how much more productive she felt being around others who were as motivated as her and not feeling distracted or having to overthink all the time. By that Friday, the teal and white decorations had gone up nicely and the entire gym looked like a winter wonderland. Sarada was proud of herself for working so hard.

The weekend was relaxing just having time for herself. Dealing with all the drama about how she was doing student council without Boruto, when was he going to be off probation, and so on was really getting to her. They had taken so many steps forward in their relationship, but now it felt like they had been pushed back twice as much. She didn't know what to do.

In retrospect, it really wasn't that big of a deal since everyone got punished, but Sarada was still upset that Boruto so easily dragged her into it just because he knew she would defend him no matter what. It was stupid, but Sarada couldn't let it go. Boruto had disrespected her, and it was making it difficult for her feelings. She had really been starting to like him a lot, but after that, it was a slap in the face as to remind her that who Boruto was capable of being and who he was right now were two completely different people. She was holding onto false hope and potential that she saw in him.

Having her judgement clouded was nothing Sarada ever enjoyed. In fact, she couldn't stand it. So, after being much overdue, she paid a visit to the park right behind her house. It was sunny with barely a wisp of flurries swirling through the sky, and some little kids were out playing on the soccer field while their parents watched from afar.

Dumping the small puddle of water off the swing, she sat down and pondered on her life, school, and most importantly, how she was going to handle Boruto. There were only three days of school this week, then the dance Wednesday night, and then it was officially winter break. She could finally catch a break. Praise the lord.

Getting asked formally to a dance was something Sarada never experienced, so she had signed up to be part of the security crew again. It was nice because she still got to dress up and look cute and even go and have a few dances, but she also got special privileges and could report any suspicious activity without being labeled a tattle.

Sakura wasn't able to take Sarada shopping – her first reason was she was busy going with Sasuke to a bunch of business meetings, then it turned into she was just too busy in general – so Sarada had to pick something from her own closet. It was a pale blue dress from a few years back from a Christmas event years ago she went with her parents to (and funnily enough the Uzumaki family) and miraculously it still fit. It was quite ironic, but it was all she had.

Taking heels, a fluffy jacket, and makeup from her mother's room, the following Wednesday Sarada got ready and Itachi picked her up half an hour before seven. He complimented her as she stepped into his Mercedes.

"You look lovely."

"Thanks." She grinned. "I honestly wouldn't be going if I wasn't part of the safety committee all night."

"All night?" Itachi questioned. Sarada nodded.

"Since Boruto's on probation I have to pick up the slack for the shift he can't cover."

"Ah." Itachi mused. "When is he off probation?"

"No idea." Sarada blew a hair out of her face indignantly. She chose to straighten it tonight instead of her usual curls, and her extensions still went down to the middle of her back. It was a change, but a good one.

"Well be sure to tell me what time you want me to come pick you up." Itachi said, pulling to the front entrance. Sarada hopped out. "Oh, don't forget your coat."

She grinned. "Thanks!" she said, then ran into the building.

The DJ was testing the speakers, the chaperones were gathered in the gym, and other student council members from each grade trickled in slowly. Most people didn't show up until almost an hour after the actual dance started, so there was still tons of time to perfect everything.

After Sarada had fixed all the little details of the decorations, it was seven o'clock. A new group would come in every so often, but it was still a small crowd. Overall, looking around the gymnasium she reflected on all her hard work despite losing her male counterpart. Even in trial she was still capable, and that was the most rewarding feeling.

Around eight, most people had shown up by now so the room was getting crowded. So far it was a pretty good outcome, but Boruto still hadn't appeared yet, and for some reason that made Sarada sad. Even though he was on probation, he was still allowed to attend dances, right?

She quickly tried to brush it off, though, and focused back on her duties. Why did it matter if he showed up? She was supposed to be upset and mad at him. He was annoying and troublesome anyway. Just because she was all dressed up for once didn't mean he was obligated to approve. This was the worst feeling ever.

"Sarada Uchiha caught wearing a dress from a Christmas party four years ago? I'm shocked."

Sarada's eyes widened. Speak of the devil; she whipped around to see Boruto, his hands placed in his pockets, lips curled to the side in a smirk.

"Boruto!"

"Long time no see." He grinned. He was wearing a fitted gray tuxedo with his hair slicked to the side. It looked phenomenal on him, but then again he looked good no matter what. Sarada fumbled for words.

"You–how did you–"

"Anyone would remember that train wreck of a dress. At least you threw that outdated foxtail over it to add some pizzazz." He smirked, and she blushed profusely.

"Sh-Shut up! It was all I had!"

Boruto cackled, "I know. It looks great on you."

Sarada couldn't help the wave of embarrassment that washed over her. Boruto liked the dress...even though it was from when she was twelve. Now that he was here, she wasn't quite sure what to say. The buildup had been more anxiety-ridden and heart pounding than actually standing in front of him. This was normal for them. She didn't know why she thought it'd be any different than any other time they fought. It was always awkward for a few days, then suddenly Boruto would randomly insult or flirt with her and they would go back to where they were.

Well, at least there was one thing he was consistent with.

"Did you come with your friends?" Sarada fiddled with her fingers.

"Just Mitsuki. The others wanted to pregame."

Sarada rolled her eyes, but then took a moment to internalize. Boruto wasn't pre-gaming with them? Why not? He was always the life of the party, and probation from school duties didn't mean he couldn't drink outside of it. She opted not to say anything, and instead walked with him over to the punch table where Mitsuki was already chilling. He had his usual neutral expression on his face.

"Hello Sarada." He greeted. She smiled.

"Hi. What do you think of the decorations?"

"Phenomenal. Amazing how you did this by yourself."

Boruto glared at him while Sarada giggled.

"No, no, I had lots of help!" She said.

"Yeah, Mitsuki, so shut up." Boruto chided, and his friend cracked a smile.

"Did your playlist get picked?" He asked.

"I actually don't know." Boruto said.

"It did." Sarada smiled. "We all voted that yours had the best mix."

Boruto beamed with confidence. "Oh hell yeah! Too bad you guys have no taste and picked teal and white. I'm disappointed."

Sarada shook her head, laughing. A loud mass of people walked in, and immediately Sarada knew it was the rest of Boruto's friend group. She sighed deeply as Boruto skipped over to them, and Mitsuki glanced at her.

They were all clearly tipsy – especially Iwabee, and for some reason Chocho was hanging around them too – but Boruto didn't seem to hold any distaste on his features. He truly was a master at faking. He acted so fluently around people he couldn't stand, lied elegantly through his teeth while looking someone dead in the eye, and talked to people like they had never done him wrong.

That made Sarada beg to wonder. Did he lie to her too?

"What's on your mind?" Mitsuki asked. She was taken aback that he was speaking to her – he tended to be quiet around anyone but Boruto and Shikadai – let alone inquiring about her current head space. She sighed.

"I mean, you know Boruto better than anyone, and I was just wondering how he's able to act like he doesn't hate certain people when I know he does. 'Cause like me? I can't lie to save my life."

Mitsuki smiled. "It's just how he is. He doesn't like causing drama so treats everyone the same."

"Like an asshole."

"Exactly."

Sarada snorted humorously. "I just see how fake he is with other people and I can't help but feel like he's faking with me too."

"He's not, I can tell you that." Mitsuki leaned against the wall. "He talks about you sometimes when we're playing Xbox."

Sarada raised an eyebrow. Her heart thudded, and she hated that. "Really? What does he say?"

"Just things that are super casual, mostly about student council or that you're way smarter than he'll ever be." Mitsuki smiled at Sarada's beaming expression.

Sarada swirled her drink. Now, she didn't have brothers or close cousins, but growing up she was always aware that the Xbox Live chat for guys was a sacred space. Boys didn't just talk about_ anything _there. So the fact that her name was even brought up at all was crazy. Boruto talked to Mitsuki about their student council experiences together.

"I tried to ask him more about it one time but he changed the subject. So that's how I know it's different with you."

Sarada felt butterflies swirling in her stomach. She quickly brushed it off. "W-Well, what about all those other girls he has?"

Mitsuki gave her a look. "The only girl still trying is Chocho, but even then he doesn't give her the time of day. _You_ know this."

At the mention of her name, Sarada looked over. Chocho had dragged Boruto to the dance floor, swinging him around and laughing even though it was a sweet, slow song. Looking at him, a feeling ignited in her stomach that felt...warm. But, seeing him with Chocho only brought back memories of Chocho's birthday party and the inevitable downfall of their friendship. To be honest, Sarada still felt bitter that they were having a silent war over a boy – one Sarada had originally hated too. It made absolutely no sense.

"So he doesn't hook up with a bunch of girls anymore?"

Mitsuki grinned. "He never has."

Sarada stared at him. "What do you mean?"

Mitsuki was about to speak, but Boruto trampled over to them, grabbing Mitsuki as a human shield.

"Please save me. Drunk Chocho is twenty times worse than regular Chocho."

Mitsuki smiled. "Shouldn't have talked to her."

"Shut up." He snipped. "I need some air."

He and Mitsuki made their way outside and Sarada stood in her place. Mitsuki's words were still ringing in her head. He never has? What does that even mean? For _years_ girls had talked about their experiences with Boruto in bed, and he would never deny it. That womanizing image from middle school followed him to high school where it was even more rampant now. So what did Mitsuki mean that he never has hooked up?

"Hey. Are you coming?"

Sarada broke from her stupor. Boruto was looking at her inquisitively. He wanted her to go outside with them? She felt her stomach swirl. Oh God she hated when she felt mushy inside.

"I-I'm on security tonight."

"Yeah, and you need to check outside to make sure no one is dabbing behind the dumpsters. So c'mon." Boruto grinned impishly at her. Sarada smiled and bounced after him.

The cold slapped against Sarada's cheeks, but it felt nice compared to the hot, humid gymnasium. She relished the fresh air and Mitsuki was already admiring the sky. It was colored midnight black with stars glittering past the moon to infinity. The scene was beautiful, but then a thought interrupted her meditation.

"Wait, what's dabbing?"

Boruto smacked a hand to his face. Mitsuki looked fairly amused. Sarada was genuinely lost.

"It's weed." Mitsuki answered.

"_Oh."_ Sarada said. How would she know? She'd never done drugs in her life.

"Silly, silly girl." Boruto said flatly. They began to bicker, and Mitsuki let his gaze rest on them.

Yeah, Boruto was most definitely his realest when he was with her.

Sarada had to later attend to her duties, which left no time for any more chit chat. She had found a few couples making out in empty classrooms and the bathrooms and kindly asked them to leave. The dance was going smoothly – everyone was having a good time, the punch bowl was still full, and most importantly no one had broken out in a fight.

Boruto was with his friends all night, sometimes standing off to the side, other times dancing with random girls who went up and asked him. Chocho was hanging on him and Iwabee interchangeably, and everytime Sarada would walk past them, Chocho would give her a dirty look. Stooping to her level was never Sarada's intention, but it started to get on her nerves.

Later towards the end of the night when everything was shutting down, Sarada was walking through the barren dark hallways when she heard the echoes of two voices coming from a classroom with a cracked door. Last time she had been in this scenario, it had caused the biggest fight between her and Boruto and also damaged her self-esteem, so she was tempted to turn around and leave it be. But, she had been instructed to make sure all the classrooms and hallways were clear so the administration could lock the school. She had a job to do.

Tip-toeing gently, she stood by the wall to listen in.

"–with me?"

The response was hard to hear.

"I don't understand why."

"I'm just not." The voice was Boruto's, that was clear as day. The other voice she couldn't quite make out.

"What does she have that I don't?"

"This isn't about anyone else."

Sarada heard shuffling around the room.

"Then what?!" It was Chocho.

"We've already talked about this."

"Yeah, only 'cause I offered to suck your dick."

Sarada felt a coldness run down her spine.

There was an elongated pause, and then a sigh. "What do you want from me, Chocho?"

"You to dump whatever rebound bitch you're messing with and realize no girl has ever been as down for you as I have. With your reputation, who would even like you as much as I do? And _not_ just to sleep with you?"

"I can name one." Boruto murmured. Chocho fumed.

"Who?!"

"Our last kiss was the very last time." Boruto said sternly. "You don't get to know my business anymore. We had a thing, we talked, but it didn't work out. Now can you accept that and leave it alone?"

Chocho was quiet for a very long time. Sarada was trembling with anxiety. So many thoughts were swirling around her head. When was the last time he and Chocho kissed? Had they still been messing around in secret? Why was she still standing here eavesdropping? God, her life was turning into a bad soap.

"If you tell me who it is I will." Chocho said quietly.

Boruto gazed at her. "Guess I'll still hear from you then."

His footsteps headed towards the door, and Sarada almost fell over in a tizzy. She scrambled in circles. There was nowhere to hide, she could pretend to be walking down the hall, but it would still look suspicious. The door slid open completely and she was a deer in headlights.

Boruto froze in his steps, and Chocho stopped behind him.

"What's wrong?" She asked, looking from him to the hallway. Sarada stood there and stared, and so did Boruto. Chocho's eyebrows raised, then she looked from Sarada to Boruto, and it clicked.

"Oh…" She muttered quietly, a sinking look fell upon her face. Boruto looked to the floor, and Chocho lowered her head. So that was it...

"Um, the dance is almost over, and they're going to lock the doors, so…" Sarada trailed off. Disregarding the dirty looks earlier, she now didn't understand why Chocho was looking at her so...shocked. What was happening?

Boruto turned back to her, smiling. "Thanks. Your uncle coming to pick you up?"

Sarada was surprised by his sudden change in attitude, but she quickly smiled back. He began walking down the hall, and she followed in suit. Her shoes clicked softly in resonance to his own. "Yeah, he said if you were here he'd drive his Ferrari down to show you real quick."

"Oh hell yeah! That would be awesome."

Chocho stepped out into the hallway, watching the two as they walked towards the staircase. Boruto and Sarada, huh? That was definitely unexpected...and it hurt. Her own best friend beat her at her own game, and she didn't even do anything special. Sarada Uchiha was so...plain. Chocho invented her, and her makeup, and her clothes, and her fake hair. Yet Boruto looked at her like she was a rainbow after a cloudy day.

He looked so happy and relaxed next to her, it was obvious by the way he smiled and laughed at her jokes. Not once had Chocho ever seen him like that with anyone else, not even her. For Sarada to crack Boruto Uzumaki...there had to be something going on behind the scenes. Chocho glowered.

Whatever it was, she'd get to the bottom of it.


	9. IX: True Self

**XxX**

Sarada was buzzing with excitement for the next two weeks off. A break was well overdue; she had been dealing with so much underlying drama that she was _definitely_ looking forward to spending time by herself and with her family. From the student council drama, to Boruto, to Chocho; she was exhausted.

Not a word from Chocho had been spoken, and even after the dance last night they were _still_ on the outs since neither of them had taken the initiative to call and talk about what had happened. Sarada supposed she wouldn't, since her friend's undying love for Boruto would last until the grave while this grudge would last a lifetime. It was sad to see her ex best friend so hung up on a guy that didn't like her back.

The night came, and Sarada was doing pre-calculus homework on her bed, clad in an oversized sweater and fuzzy socks. If there was one thing she hated, it was being unprepared. To finish all of her homework on time, she had it set up every day where she could either chip away small pieces of homework each day and finish the night before, or alternatively spend more time in bigger chunks to finish quicker.

For now, she was doing as much as she could, with Coldplay playing softly from her speaker with her window cracked. It was colder now, but she still loved the breeze. Fresh air and music helped her concentrate.

Their doorbell rang, but she paid no mind.

"Sarada!" Sakura called a few moments later from downstairs.

"Yeah?" She responded. What was the sequence for the unit circle again?

"There's something at the door for you." She said. Sarada raised a brow, but quickly finished her thought process and jotted down the answer before heading downstairs.

Sakura had a plate in her hand while Sasuke had poked his head out from his office to eye it curiously. Sarada felt scrutinized as she took the plate from her mother. There were fresh tea cookies on it with a little paper note underneath the plastic wrap. She took it out and read it.

_Thank you for being you._

_-Boruto_

"A secret admirer?" Sakura clapped her hands together. Sarada felt her heart pound inside her chest as butterflies stormed inside her stomach. Sasuke peered over her shoulder to read the note, then eyed his daughter, but he said nothing. He retreated back into his den.

"No, not quite." Sarada said lightly, a shy smile making its way to her lips.

"Those look great," Sakura took a cookie. "And they smell good too! I think they just came out of the oven."

True to her words, the cookies smelled delightful, and were still warm. Sarada took a bite, and her eyes widened.

"They're cardamom."

"Whoever made them for you knows you really well." Sakura smiled. "You should do something nice back."

Doing something nice back for Boruto? Wasn't that something only romantic partners did for each other, reciprocate gifts? Whatever the case, the thought made Sarada blush again but she didn't want her mom to see that. She quickly ducked her head, shoving the note into her pocket, and headed to her father's office. She knocked lightly.

"Come in."

The door opened effortlessly. She smiled.

"Do you want a cookie?"

"A cookie that Boruto made?" Sasuke's eyes were as cold and emotionless as usual. Sarada pursed her lips. She'd be damned if her own father intimidated her...even though he did.

"Dad."

His composed and calculated look shifted into something more sympathetic. He slowly dropped one hand to the desk and beckoned her forward.

"I suppose Hinata made them anyway." He said indifferently as he took a cookie, and Sarada giggled. Still with no expression, he looked at his daughter expectantly. "Well? You can't eat cookies like these without some tea."

"You try to act so tough."

Sasuke flicked his gaze to her. "I am tough."

Sarada rolled her eyes lightly. "Yeah, okay. What kind of tea?"

"Grey."

"Alright. Then I'm going back to homework!"

She left the plate on his desk to head towards the kitchen, and Sasuke ate his cookie slowly. Hm. If the mini idiot did make them then he was a good baker, that's for sure. But he would never say that out loud. Quite curious, though...when did his daughter start fraternizing with the Uzumaki? He thought they hated each other. Oh well. Semantics. Back to work.

After having made her father's tea and once back in her room, Sarada took the note back out of her pocket and reread it a thousand times. The butterflies were coming again, and she couldn't help but gush. Boruto really took the time to do this for her...wow. He was such a soft romantic type when he wasn't around all his friends, and just the mere thought of him thinking to do something nice like this made her swoon. Her hands were shaking with excitement.

Putting the whole situation together; Boruto decided he wanted to do something nice for her, picked to bake cookies, then the process of looking up recipes, actually baking the cookies, writing a note, and delivering them, made Sarada genuinely blush. The entire sentiment was so meaningful; right down to the fact that she had never been a huge fan of super sweet cookies, and he was aware of that and made her something she would like. What a paradoxical person. He was still so frustratingly intriguing. Sarada almost couldn't believe Boruto Uzumaki made cookies for someone like _her_!

Debating whether to text him a thank you or do something nice back like her mother said, Sarada chose neither and threw on a pair of sneakers and a scarf. She didn't want her parents to know she was going to see Boruto, so snuck out her window and hopped onto the side garage roof right outside her window with ease. The squishy wet grass broke her fall, and she avoided any cameras pointed to the back patio. This always made it simple for her to climb up or down without any footage being caught. Having it right outside her window, too, made it nice during the summer so she could lay out on the roof and star gaze.

Sarada made good time before it got pitch black. Now that she was here, her adrenaline wore off and she wasn't quite sure what to do. All she felt was nerves. Should she knock? Throw rocks at his window? Call him? She didn't think this far ahead; her heart moved her feet on its own accord. She was blushing immensely and couldn't get it to calm down. Thinking she was about to see Boruto in only a few moments...ugh the nerves were killing her, she hated it!

Supposing the most straightforward way would be to knock before she talked herself out of it, so she did just that.

"I got it!" She heard Himawari squeak from the other side. The younger Uzumaki opened the door and gasped. "Sarada, it's been such a long time!"

"Y-Yeah, it's good to see you again," She said shyly. She couldn't stop fiddling with her fingers. "U-Um, is Boruto here?"

Himawari blinked, not even bothering to hide her surprise, and before she could speak Boruto came down the stairs, wearing the t-shirt he had given Sarada to sleep in that one night so long ago at Mitsuki's house, gray sweatpants, and slip on sliders. Sarada was so used to only seeing Boruto primarily dressed up in his uniform that this down-casual attire looked cute. Like...so extremely cute she was bursting from the insides, relishing in the fact that she was getting to see this look on him when so many other people hadn't before.

"Yeah, I'm right here." He said, seemingly disinterested. "Hima, if mom asks just tell her I'll be back."

Himawari's only response was a devious cackle, but said nothing else as she closed the door. Boruto seemed put off, avoiding eye contact, and the pounding in Sarada's heart was suddenly stemming from the wonder if he was annoyed she had shown up. Though, once his sister closed the door, she realized it was an act as his shoulders visibly relaxed.

"Hey." He said nervously, his hot breath coming out in a puff of smoke. Sarada hadn't realized how cold it was outside. Her adrenaline-filled body was covered up by the shivers from being cold.

"U-Um, I'm sorry if I interrupted anything, b-but I just came to say thank you." She said, trying to keep her tone as even as possible. She was so extremely flustered. "That was...very thoughtful of you."

Boruto didn't say anything at first, his soft gaze looking across all her features. He then scratched the back of his head, chuckling.

"Hima helped me bake them. So don't give me all the credit."

Sarada smiled. "But it was still your idea."

He was looking everywhere but her, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. It was actually kind of cute how flustered and shy _he_ was when there was no one else around. It was definitely a side Sarada had never really seen before; he genuinely seemed earnest and actually like a sweet guy, he just put up a front at school to seem like the bad boy.

"Yeah, I guess." Boruto said humbly. "In that case, you're welcome!"

Sarada almost laughed. He was so awkward when it was just him alone, it was endearing. They were comfortable around each other, but now, it seemed something had shifted. They both were nervous and avoiding eye contact. Sarada knew how she felt about Boruto, but did he even feel the same?

A thought came to mind. All these emotions and butterflies were overriding her logic. She was being too easy. He brought her cookies because he was thanking her, that didn't mean he liked her. The adrenaline was being mistaken for infatuation. Sarada was letting her feelings get too out of hand. She sighed. This internal battle fighting against herself was getting old and annoying. For once, she didn't want to overthink everything and just _be_.

Neither of them knew what to say, and Sarada shivered. The cold was really getting to her, and Boruto frowned.

"Here, come in, it's cold out here."

"No, no, it's fine! I'm okay, I just came to say thank you, I didn't want to interrupt." Sarada panicked, shaking her hands.

Boruto gave her a look. "You're going to walk right back home then?"

"Uhh…" Sarada was at a loss for words. He shook his head disapprovingly.

"You're such a pain in the ass." He said again, but this time was lighthearted and fond. "Come on."

Sarada stumbled after him into the doorway, and Boruto double checked to make sure his parents weren't around before heading up the stairs. From the kitchen to the left, Himawari saw them sneaking up the steps and gave them a devilish grin. Boruto rolled his eyes as his sister snickered.

Sarada smiled wistfully. She almost wished she had a sibling to have as a best friend, but at the same time she liked being an only child. She got her own space, her own things, and even though it got lonely with her parents' frequent travel, she really didn't mind it. But, maybe a little sister would've been fun to have.

Surprisingly, Boruto's room was very neat. It wasn't her first time inside his house, but it was inside his room. The bed was made immaculately, shelves were full of books, gadgets, what looked like toy car parts, and drawings, and a tv on a table positioned at the end of the bed. His Xbox game was paused with the avatar hovering mid-air. Music was playing softly from a mini speaker on his nightstand, pictures of him and his family were hung up on the walls. His room had a nice feeling to it.

"Here." He handed her a hoodie from his closet. "You can wear that until you warm up, then I can walk you home. Do you want some tea?"

"Sure." Sarada was rather impressed with his hospitality. Even to this day and as much time as they've spent together, never in a million years would she believe someone if they told her school-Boruto and alone-Boruto were the same person.

"Chamomile?"

"If you have it, please."

"Sugar?"

"No thank you."

He left without another word shutting the door behind him, and she was amazed and suspicious at the same time. Cardamom tea cookies were so obscure, how would he have known she even liked those? Maybe she'd told him one time, maybe he asked someone. Either way, it was nice to know someone paid attention.

His phone buzzed on the nightstand, and Sarada glanced at it once she'd put on the hoodie. It was Chocho, asking what he was doing tonight and that she had some "free time". Sarada raised an eyebrow. Were they still a thing, even after yesterday?

It almost made her stomach churn with a feeling she didn't like, but she repressed it. Sarada and Boruto were _just_ friends, so she had no business in what he did or who he hung out with. But...it almost made her mad that Chocho hadn't given up already. Usually she was smarter than this not to hold on. It was obvious Boruto didn't like her back, so she should get over it. She was being ridiculous.

A few minutes later, Boruto came back with two cups of tea, and handed one to Sarada. She thanked him and blew on it gently. Boruto set his tea on the nightstand and checked his phone, his brows immediately furrowing. Sarada tried to act like she wasn't paying attention to his reaction, but she was so curious how he was going to reply, so hid her face deep in the teacup. He swiped open his phone and responded, then once the message was sent he placed it face down on the nightstand, afterwards looking at her. It didn't make the jealousy in Sarada's stomach feel any better. She was here right in front of him, yet texting Chocho.

"How is it?" He asked.

"Still too hot."

Boruto snorted. "I always make the water too hot, Hima tells me that every time."

"I think it brings out the flavor of the leaves."

"Yeah, but there's always the chances of them burning, then it just tastes gross." Boruto dared to take a sip of his tea, but then recoiled once it touched his tongue. "Hot!"

Sarada giggled. He pouted and scooted to the wall next to her, crossing his ankles. Sarada was still settled into the edge of the bed, watching the tea slosh back and forth up the sides of the cup.

Instead of it being awkwardly silent like on the porch, this silence was comfortable. She was watching the steam rise up from the cup while Boruto was staring at his ceiling.

"How did you know I liked cardamom?" She turned to him.

He seemed hesitant to answer. "I asked Chocho."

And, oh. That made sense. But for him to ask Chocho out of the blue about something like that would make her positively suspicious about them being together, no doubt. Chocho was that type, and especially now that her and Sarada didn't hang out anymore, she hoped it didn't cause any more bad blood between them. There was already a big enough silent war going on.

"How are you two doing, by the way?" Sarada figured she might as well ask, since the jealousy inside her chest was insatiable. Sometimes it was good to feed the bad wolf too, just out of sheer egotistical purposes. Boruto sighed.

"We're not at all"

"How come?"

He shrugged. "I mean, I don't know how much you heard last night, but she's just not my type and I've told her that. It's like...when you're drunk, anyone is attractive, anyone can make out with you. So I thought I'd be nice and give it a try but honestly over time I just wasn't interested at all."

"In her?"

"Or a relationship, I guess." Boruto said. "I'm not gonna put a bunch of effort into someone I don't even want to be with."

"But everyone wants to be with you, you have tons of options." Sarada pointed out. Her jealousy was gushing uncontrollably. She hated the words coming from her mouth, but she couldn't stop herself. "You could walk down the hall, ask any girl out, guaranteed she'd say yes."

Boruto shrugged. "I'm not really about it right now. It's too much work."

"What is?"

"Girls." He smiled. Sarada mirrored his expression.

"Because you have a face that breaks hearts."

"Nope, it's all about what you say." Boruto stated. "Say all the right things, kiss them once or twice, spend time with them, buy them cute things, then boom, they're hooked."

Sarada gave him a slightly irritated look. "Sounds like a hidden talent of yours."

Boruto picked up on her agitation and laughed it off. "Chillll, I'm just kidding. But anyway, let's not talk about that anymore." He bounced to the edge of the bed to grab his tea. "My birthday is this week."

To say Sarada was disappointed she didn't get more out of him would be a stretch. She didn't want to dwell on the fact that she was over here liking him a million times more than he liked her, and that he wasn't even _looking_ for a relationship. After what he said, he saw it all as a game. She would _gladly_ switch topics to get rid of the ugly jealousy taking over her whole body right now.

"What day?"

"The twenty-eighth." He said. "so next Tuesday."

"Wow." She said aloud. "My birthday isn't until July."

"What day?"

"The eighth."

Boruto sucked on his teeth. "Damn. You can't drive for a long time."

"Don't remind me." Sarada pouted. "Chocho was driving me everywhere, but if she left me I was stranded."

"Yeah, I remember her talking about that." Boruto said casually. Sarada's look urged him to delve into detail. He seemed hesitant. "When we went out for ice cream she just said stuff. But that was a few months ago. It doesn't matter now, just move on."

"But I want to know." Sarada frowned.

"It's not anything good." Boruto leaned back. "So I don't want to make you sad."

Sarada slumped over. "She was my best friend and she talks negatively about me."

Boruto took a sip of his tea. "Hey, who cares? People are gonna say bad things about you no matter what you do. Seriously, just do you. Don't be so caught up in what other people say. Everyone is just fake anyway."

It almost struck a chord with Sarada. But for the king of reputations and fake personas telling her to not care about what other people thought was the absolute most contradictory statement of her entire year.

"So then why do _you_ care so much?"

Boruto flinched as if she'd slapped him. Sarada back reeled, fully taking in what she had said. Oh god. She literally had no filter. All these negative feelings festering inside of her were making her spew a fountain of vernacular poison. Dear lord she needed an antidote ASAP.

"You know…that's a good question." He laughed halfheartedly. "I don't really know."

Sarada blinked. "If you can't live up to your own advice then try not to give it."

Boruto snorted, but still appeared amused. "You really don't think before you speak."

Sarada smiled sheepishly. "I know. Sorry I just make everything awkward."

Boruto leaned closer to her face, his nose scrunched. "I like it. You're just honest."

She hid her blush.

Their remaining tea got cold, but their hearts were warm. The conversation tonight had veered a little more on the awkward side, but Sarada still felt comfortable around him. If he could handle her projection with such ease, maybe she shouldn't be so nervous to be herself around him after all. The fact that she got the chance to see different sides of him, too, was an honor. He really was very sweet and caring.

Despite what had happened last week, she couldn't stay mad at him. It was a mistake of crossing boundaries, and he'd apologized for it. She wasn't going to hold it against him.

"You warm yet?" He asked, eyeing her in his large hoodie. She subconsciously snuggled into it.

"Yeah, thank you. I should head home now."

"'Kay, let me walk you."

Boruto checked the hallways to make sure they were clear before beckoning her to follow. They tiptoed down the stairs where Himawari was still there, and she gave them a grin. Boruto gave her a cutting motion at his throat, and they slid through the front door with ease.

It was even more chilly now that the sun had set. Sarada's glasses immediately fogged up and she scowled, making Boruto burst into laughter. She flushed and tore her glasses off her face.

"Do they always do that?" He asked.

"Only when the temperature changes really fast." She squinted as she cleaned them. It irked her, to be honest. She was blind no matter what she did. It was all her dad's fault.

"That's funny." He said, putting his hands behind his head. He was only in a T-shirt and didn't even seem the slightest bit cold. She looked at him curiously.

"Boruto."

"Hm?" He turned to her.

"You're actually a nice person." She said. "I don't see why you're pretending to be someone else at school when the person with me right now is just fine."

For the second time that day, Boruto was taken aback. His expression quickly turned solemn. Sarada stopped walking, her breath swirling in small puffs around her. Boruto paused a few paces in front of her and looked to the sky.

"I can't have people thinking I'm soft." He narrowed his eyes. "Being soft is what gets you hurt. My dad taught me that better than anyone."

Sarada knew better than to pry, for he had already spilled enough back then at the Fall Festival, so she kept walking in silence. Boruto joined her a few beats later. The cold was beginning to creep up her spine once more, so she burrowed deeper into the hoodie. Luckily, her house was just around the corner, so they weren't far away.

Boruto stepped on to her porch. She looked at him expectantly.

"Will you be okay walking back?" She asked. Boruto smiled.

"I'll be just fine! It's hardly even cold."

"You say that every time!" Sarada went to take off the hoodie, but Boruto grabbed her hands and held them down.

"No, you keep it." He grinned at her. "You need it more than I do." He let go and jumped down the small steps, waving. "See ya tomorrow!"

"Bye." She waved with half the sleeve over her hand, and let out a long sigh. He wanted to see her tomorrow? Wow. _And_ the hoodie smelled like Boruto. She wasn't going to admit how much she liked it. Her heart was still pounding.

Slowly opening the front door, she went to tiptoe up the stairs but bumped into her uncle. She grunted and the sudden contact but then gasped at the realization.

"Sarada, glad you're back safely." Itachi said sweetly with a smile. Sarada's eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"You didn't see me!" She said in a hushed voice, then scurried up the steps.

Itachi only laughed.

**XxX**


	10. X: Christmas Eve

A/N: Hellooo everyone! (: I'd like to first and foremost apologize for the crazy update schedule. I have been called back into work and it has been very stressful. Though, with that said, I will do my best from now on to update at least once every other week.

Also I'd like to thank all of you for reading / reviewing! Every time I get an email saying one of you has added this story to your favorites, or are following it, it really does mean the most to me that people are enjoying this story! Honestly I tear up a little bit, you guys all mean the most to me and I appreciate your feedback and support so much. I want to give a personal shoutout to chica-flick, saltyapples25, kyuubito, mano.o.o.o on, Uchiha Sarada1, anon SG, and SnakesSolidButt for always reviewing, you guys literally make my day! Thank you so so so much! -lots of hearts-

Onto the chapter!

* * *

Once Boruto got home and threatened Himawari that if she even let out a _peep_ that a girl was in his room, he would flush all her art supplies down the toilet. She didn't take him seriously at all and mocked him instead. Boruto couldn't help but roll his eyes and tease her back about Inojin. Eventually, it became a full blown argument about who would cave first and get in a serious relationship, and the second Naruto walked through the front door, the two went dead silent and sat at the table pretending nothing had happened. Naruto raised a brow.

"What's going on?" He set his briefcase on the table.

"Hima's just watching those annoying Kardashian videos again." Boruto said, even though there was no phone in sight, which Naruto noticed, but before he could talk Boruto interrupted. "I'm going to my room!"

"Your mother made dinner." Naruto scowled as Boruto walked past him dismissively.

"Already had some." He walked up the stairs without another word. Naruto frowned and looked to his daughter, who avoided eye contact at all costs.

"Himawari–?"

"Ohh look, I have homework! Sorry dad, I already ate too." She quickly scurried past him and he sighed. His children baffled him.

Boruto was lying on his bed when his phone buzzed again. He reached over the two discarded teacups and flipped it over and reread through the conversation with Chocho. She pissed him off; especially since Sarada popping by unexpectedly had lifted his mood exponentially, and then Chocho just had to go and be all nosy and ruin it again.

**Chocho  
**_Hey cutie if you're not busy I want to see you! I have some free time ;)_

To which he responded, _I'm hanging with Shikadai. _Shikadai, Sarada, they both started with the letter S. So it was practically the same thing.

**Chocho  
**_Liar my parents just got back from their house and said Shikadai was there! You're with Sarada aren't you_

There had been a gap from when he'd responded.

_No_

**Chocho  
**_Yes you are_

_Read 8:31 PM_

And now, she had double texted him just barely.

**Chocho  
**_Can we talk?_

_About what_ he responded.

The response was almost immediate.

**Chocho  
**_I feel like you're avoiding me_

_I'm not_

**Chocho  
**_Then why are you lying to me _

_I'm not_

**Chocho  
**_Can I come over?_

_My dad just got home_

**Chocho  
**_Please I'll sneak through the back door like last time_

_I really need you to stop. I'm just not interested_

**Chocho  
**_Why?_

_I'm just not_

**Chocho  
**_It's cause of Sarada isn't it_

_No_

_**Chocho  
**__Then what's wrong with me_

_Nothing I promise_

**Chocho  
**_Then why don't you like me?_

Boruto was getting irritated. _I just don't_, he replied.

**Chocho  
**_Can we talk in person?_

_What's there to talk about_

**Chocho  
**_Idk just what's been going on lately_

_Nothing has changed I'm still the same_

**Chocho  
**_No you're not I know there's something up. You wouldn't have pushed me away if there wasn't another girl whether its Sarada or not. If I need to change tell me what and I'll do it because I really like you Boruto and I want to be with you. I don't want things to end_

_It's not you I just don't want a relationship. I can't give you what you want and I told you that_

**Chocho  
**_Because of another girl_

_Read 9:34 PM_

Boruto externally groaned. Point blank period he just wasn't interested in Chocho anymore, but girls just _had_ to be so dramatically obnoxious about everything. Always jumping to conclusions and putting words into his mouth. Like she was creating something out of nothing! If there was _one_ girl that existed that didn't cause drama, Boruto would marry them.

His phone dinged.

**Chocho  
**_What other girl gives head as good as me_

He started typing out _plenty I can name 5_ but then deleted it and left her on read again. He was done with this pointless, petty argument. Chocho was going to believe what she wanted no matter what he said. He'd never even mentioned Sarada's name and now Chocho was fixated on her being the reason he wasn't interested anymore. This was so annoying. Sarada wasn't even the reason...okay, well, the _whole _reason. She may have had a part in it, but really Boruto just realized what he did and _didn't_ want. And everything Chocho entails was definitely put in the _didn't want_ category.

A couple minutes later, his eyes widened at the large essay he had just received.

**Chocho  
**_Boruto just know you're making a HUGE mistake letting me go. You'll never find another girl who was as down for you as me and I never told you what to do or who to hang out with and let you spend time with your stupid friends and play your stupid video games even when I was over at your house. Your sister loved me your mom loved me and even your dad loved me so good luck finding someone your family gets along with! Most girls are fake and you'll never find someone as real as me_

Boruto just stared at the massive message.

**Chocho  
**_I can't believe you're so rude leaving me on read I'm pouring my heart out to you and you don't even say anything. Youre a dick just like every other guy. You don't deserve me you've done nothing to earn me I'll find someone so much better and cuter and nicer than you_

_Ok lol_

God, how irritating. He was _so_ glad he didn't have to deal with her until after the break. His phone continued to blow up, but he muted her notifications and went back to his Xbox game. This would all blow over by tomorrow.

Honestly thinking back to it, Sarada seemed to be the only exception to not being involved in any drama. Which, Boruto actually had a great time with her tonight. She somehow always knew what to say to get under his skin. She could be so clumsy with her words but somehow they always managed to make an efficient point.

Boruto smiled. Sarada was real and kept things interesting. She was intelligent, her glasses made her look like a hot librarian, and Boruto actually didn't mind her long hair now. Still, he preferred her short hair, but in all honesty, he thought she looked cute no matter what.

Wait.

Was he starting to _like_ her?

Oh no freaking way, Boruto could _not_ catch feelings for someone he hadn't even banged yet. Besides, their relationship had already been so up and down this year. There was no telling where their friendship would be at even as close as a month's time. Sarada's feelings weren't consistent enough for Boruto's liking...but then again, that's what made her interesting. Each and every day was a new page in their chapter. She called him on his bullshit and didn't let things slide like a lot of other girls. She was inconsistent, but genuinely thorough.

Sure, he'd had a tiny crush on her since they were little due to their families practically forcing them together every holiday, but never did anything about it. Uzumaki's and Uchiha's were just too different. And Sasuke scared the living hell out of him.

Honestly, Boruto just didn't know what he wanted right now. He wanted a girl-free life. He'd experienced too much pain and heartbreak to even want to start over with someone again.

For now, Sarada was nice to hang out with, she was easy on the eyes, so innocent it was hilarious to flirt with her, and she made him laugh. She also pushed him to be better, and even though she sometimes irritated the shit out of him and had the tendency to criticize every little flaw of his, she still had a special place in his heart. She was so tender and kind hearted, unlike him. There wasn't a time he'd messed up that she _hadn't_ given him another chance. She believed in him more than he believed in himself, and that was more reassuring than anything to know at least someone saw the good within all his bad.

Her undying passion mixed with her kindness is what drew Boruto to her. But of course, she'd only ever really tolerated him. Up until now, at least, it seemed as if she finally saw him as an official acquaintance. Yeah, he'd date her in a heartbeat. But even still, Boruto wasn't going to make the jump.

Girls were too complicated, and right now he would only break their hearts trying to figure them out.

Later around one in the morning, Boruto was sneaking down into the kitchen for the leftovers because he had, in fact, not had anything to eat. Honestly, he just lied to Naruto because he didn't want to deal with him. But now that his stomach had woken him up growling for food, he'd regretted that decision and grumbled all the way down to the kitchen.

Boruto just about screamed when a head popped up from the already open fridge, and Himawari had a piece of celery sticking out of her mouth.

They pointed at each other accusatory.

"Why are you up?!" They said simultaneously in a hushed whisper.

"I didn't eat to avoid dad!" Boruto snipped.

"Well me too!" Himawari shot back. "You threw me under the bus!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

They glared at each other, then the humor of the situation made them both burst into uncontrollable giggles.

Once they were seated at the table with their food, Himawari looked at him.

"So real talk, you and Sarada?"

Boruto huffed and took a spoonful of cereal. "What about us?"

Between crunches of celery and peanut butter, Himawari asked, "What happened to you and Chocho?"

"She's crazy."

"I thought you liked her though? You brought her over a lot."

"That's–...you know Hima, I'll tell you when you're older." He said grimly. She pouted.

"I'm almost fourteen!"

"Too young." He said, taking a bite of his food. She leaned forward.

"Okay, so then Sarada? Do you like her?"

"I do." He said. "But I'm not gonna do anything about it."

"Why not?"

He shook his head. "Not the right timing."

"Did she like the cookies?"

"Yeah, she said she loved them."

Himawari's eyes lit up. "Oh, I'm so glad! I know how hard you worked on them."

Boruto smiled. "Yeah. That's why she came over – to say thank you."

"I like Sarada, a lot better than Chocho." Himawari said. "She fits you better. Chocho always seemed too stuck up for you."

Boruto laughed. "You're funny. I'm not dating either of them so it doesn't really matter who fits me better."

"But why?" Himawari asked. "If you like Sarada and think she fits, why don't you ask her out?"

"Cause it's much more complicated than that." Boruto said softly. "I can't just..._date _Sarada out of nowhere. People wouldn't understand."

"Well is that why you were with Chocho, cause that's who people expected you to be with?"

Boruto felt an arrow to the chest. When his little sister said it that way...it made the situation sound much worse. He really had used Chocho for his own personal gain.

"Yeah...I guess."

"That's kinda dumb." Himawari said. "If you don't like Chocho don't be with her. If you like Sarada then be with her."

Boruto's lip curled upward. "I'm not even sixteen yet. I don't know what I like."

"You like Sarada!" Himawari said with a smile. "I can tell by how you are with her."

Boruto refused to meet her gaze. His sister truly did have a point. Sarada _was_ different, and he did like her. He always had. A lot, quite frankly. But stubbornness was one of his negative traits, and in this case was the main factor in why he wasn't pursuing her. Admitting to himself that for once, a girl didn't automatically swoon at his presence, and wasn't intimidated by his sheer reputation alone, so he actually had to make an _effort_? That, and he didn't want to feel like he was going to lose a piece of his heart in the end from investing too much time and energy into someone who didn't reciprocate the feeling. Though, Sarada seemed completely different than the other girls that had broken his heart.

So who knew. Maybe Boruto had changed his mind.

"Wh-Whatever. If you eat anymore this late at night you'll get fatter than you are!"

Boruto took his plate and set it in the dishwasher, and it wasn't until he was walking upstairs that Himawari understood what he'd just said. She gasped loudly.

"_Hey!"_

**XxX**

Christmas Eve. Sarada, Itachi, and her parents had gone out for breakfast, went shopping, then Sarada spent the rest of the evening in the kitchen with her father cooking. They had the tradition that Sasuke cooked for Christmas Eve dinner, then Itachi made breakfast Christmas morning. It was Sarada's absolute favorite time of year, and Itachi made the best strawberry Belgian waffles _ever_ so she was greatly looking forward to it. Good food and family.

"Dad," Sarada said, puzzled looking over the recipe, then comparing it to how many ingredients they had cooking. "Why are we making so much? It's just us four."

"The Uzumaki's are coming over for dinner, as they do every year." He said, eyeing her suspiciously. "So if you care about what you look like, I would go get ready now. They'll be here in half an hour."

_What?! _

The metal bowl in Sarada's hands slipped and fell to the ground. It clattered loud and unattractively. No one told her and it had _somehow_ slipped her mind that they had been having Christmas Eve dinner with the Uzumaki's since she came out of the womb. And what was even more embarrassing, is she had been wearing Boruto's hoodie all day! She would've been mortified if they showed up and she was dressed in their sons clothes with her hair all frazzled and glasses smudged. She had been too distracted thinking about Boruto that she literally forgot she was going to see him tonight.

Oh no, her panicking was too obvious. Sasuke was giving her _that_ look; the one where he knew exactly why she was reacting that way and he was internally disapproving.

"O-Okay, I'll leave the rest to you then!" Sarada tore off her apron and threw it on the back of the couch, and Itachi chuckled to himself as he watched her scramble up the stairs.

What was she supposed to wear? She wanted to look nice, but not too over the top nice. This was the worst part about having a crush – feeling like she always had to look cute.

Eventually after she dug through her entire closet, she went with a black overall dress, a red jumper underneath, black tights, and half her hair tied back with a little red bow, and went and dug through her mother's makeup for some gloss, a little shimmery highlighter on her cheekbones, mascara, and she called it good. She didn't want to make it too obvious that she was trying to look good; more like put together and sophisticated like the Uchiha heiress she was.

Half an hour later, she heard ruckus downstairs, meaning the Uzumaki's were here. Her cheeks flushed and she stumbled around her room to tidy it up, and threw everything she didn't have time to clean in her closet. She double checked herself in the mirror, and waited until everyone was greeted and dispersed in the house before she made her appearance.

Himawari spotted Sarada at the top of the stairs and elbowed Boruto with a large grin, who was half-listening to his dad's and Sasuke's conversation but was distracted fiddling with something inside his pockets.

"Ow!" He snipped, but then saw where she was looking. Sarada was descending down the stairs gracefully, her hair cascading down to her waist, and Boruto couldn't help but stare. Wow. She looked amazing.

"Sarada, you look so pretty!" Himawari jumped up and hugged her, and Sarada smiled.

"Thanks! You look so cute, I love your dress!"

Himawari twirled. "Thanks! My dad brought it back in Italy."

Sasuke noticed Boruto staring. Itachi did too.

"Hi, Boruto." Sarada said softly. He smiled.

"H-Hey."

"Sarada, come help me set the table!" Sakura called.

"Okay!" She quickly went to the kitchen and greeted Hinata, who also complimented her, and they set the table and got everyone's drinks. Naruto, Itachi, and Sasuke opened a bottle of wine once they were all seated. Sasuke was seated at the head, with Sakura and Itachi on both sides of the table from him. Sarada was next to her uncle on her left with Boruto on her right. Naruto sat diagonally from them on the other head of the table, with Himawari and Hinata filling the last two places. Himawari smirked at the couple and Boruto kicked her under the table.

"I thank you and your family for coming here tonight, Naruto. It makes it much more enjoyable to have more company." Sasuke said. "It's been so long since we've all gotten together."

"No, thank you Sakura for inviting us again this year! If not, we probably would've gone out to Ichiraku's!" Naruto laughed.

"Yeah, so thank you!" Himawari exclaimed in relief, and everyone laughed.

"So we have our tradition on Christmas Eve where we go around and say what we're thankful for." Sakura said. "Sarada, do you want to start?"

All eyes were on her, and Sarada gulped. Boruto's gaze seemed to be burning through her right side.

"I'm really thankful for my family, for my uncle Itachi," She said, and Itachi smiled at her, "and the opportunity to always have what we need. My parents work so hard and I'm grateful for them."

"Aww, Sarada." Sakura said. "Okay, Boruto?"

He tensed up, and this time Sarada had her turn to shamelessly stare at him. "I'm thankful for my sister. And my friends." Seemling it appeared he was going to say something else, but ducked his head in resignation. Himawari went next.

"I'm grateful that I get to start high school next year!"

"Ohh, that's right." Naruto said. "Ninth grade!"

Himawari grinned and nodded. They went around the rest of the table, until they were all done taking turns. Sarada glanced at Boruto's hands, he was fidgeting badly, tapping his fingers on his bouncing knees. He noticed her looking at him.

"You okay?" She mouthed. He gave her an unconvincing smile.

They ate cheerfully, the adults chatting together, frequently talking with Himawari, occasionally Sarada, but hardly Boruto. He seemed uncharacteristically quiet, and he wouldn't stop moving restlessly, and it made Sarada curious if he wanted to leave. And here she had been so excited to see him.

When she was washing the dishes with Hinata, she excused herself to the bathroom. Instead of going to the one downstairs, she went upstairs. It was quiet and peaceful compared to downstairs, and it gave her a moment to catch her breath. She hadn't realized how much tonight was stressing her out.

Washing her hands, she fixed her hair afterward. The water was left running as she stared at herself in the mirror. She really did look pretty, so she wondered why Boruto hadn't said anything about it. There was a soft knock on the door frame.

"Sarada?" She heard Boruto's voice, and, oh god. Her heart fluttered. Stay calm, stay cool. The Uchiha indifference. Composed. Collected.

She turned the water off and pushed the door open. Boruto looked relieved to have found her.

"Hey." She said softly. He avoided her eyes, but didn't seem to want to leave. That helped Sarada's thudding heartbeat calm.

"Can I uh, talk to you, for a minute?"

"Yeah, of course. Um," Sarada turned in a circle in an attempt to figure out where they should go before stumbling to her door. "Let's go in here."

Boruto trailed in behind her, and Sarada thanked herself for tidying her room. The inside of her closet was a mess, but alas, it didn't matter at this point in time. Boruto didn't need to know that.

"What's up?" She said, sitting on her bed. Boruto was still by the door admiring Sarada's room. He'd been in here a couple times, granted, it was dark each time. Still, it suited her – very simple layout with pictures, succulents, and books all neatly organized on the shelves. He saw her shoulder bag setting neatly atop her desk and smiled. It was kind of fun to see the usual things in a different element. It made it feel more personal.

"Well," Boruto scratched his head, fumbling with his jacket pocket. "I, uh, hope it's not too much, but I got you something."

Sarada stared at him unbelieving. He went and sat next to her, his gaze glued to the door while his fingers were twiddling.

"Really?" She said airily. Boruto nodded.

"I just feel like...y'know, after everything you've done for me, like you deserve nice things." He finally looked at her. "And I hope this doesn't make things weird between us...I swear Himawari helped me pick it out, it wasn't _all_ my decision–"

"Boruto!" Sarada laughed. He rambled when he was nervous, it was adorable. "It's okay, that's so thoughtful of you. The fact that you even thought to get me something is so nice, and then you went and had Himawari help you pick it out."

He scratched the back of his neck. "A-Anyway, if you don't like it, it's fine, I can always take it back. It's not a big deal." He shoved a velvet-clad box into her hand. Her heart pounded, he really did get her something.

Slowly, she opened the box to reveal a necklace with a teardrop ruby crystal in the middle. Her eyes widened.

"It's your birthstone." Boruto added. "I thought that was way too sappy but Himawari said girls liked the sentiment, so I just went with it. And red looks good on you."

"Boruto," She gasped, "it's beautiful! I love it so much." She took it from the box and held the delicate jewelry on the palm of her hand. The ruby glistened beautifully in the light; she almost couldn't believe he'd actually gotten this for her. "I feel bad, I didn't think to get you anything."

"It's okay, you didn't have to. I just wanted to do something nice for you." He said. Sarada looked from the necklace to Boruto, and he had the softest expression she'd ever seen on his face.

"Here," He took the necklace from her, and Sarada moved her hair to the side. As his fingertips grazed the back of her neck, shivers tingled up and down her spine. It made her feel some type of way. Once it was clasped his hands slowly dropped to the bed, and she turned to him.

"Thank you." She said, barely above a whisper, and he just smiled.

There was a warm, fond air between them. Neither of them really knew what to say. Sarada's cheeks flushed when Boruto's hand slid atop of hers. It felt so...different, in a good way. She's been over here worrying this entire time for no reason. To be doing all these nice things for her, he must've had _some_ type of feelings for her, regardless if he said he was ready for a relationship or not. The reality made her heart skip through fields of flowers.

Sarada had never held hands with a boy, never kissed anyone, and never really had a crush before, so this was all new to her. It was scary, but since it was with Boruto, she was okay with it. For them to come from hating each other to _this_ was surreal. She really liked Boruto a lot, but didn't know where it would lead after this. She didn't know what it meant to be in love with someone or to be in a relationship. She was only fifteen.

But, she supposed, there was no harm in trying to figure it out.

Music was playing softly on her speaker, which the melancholic sound of Coldplay seemed to ease her thudding heartbeat. This boy sitting in front of her was so enigmatic, full of so many secrets and emotions and things he didn't outwardly portray but felt more deeply than anyone she'd ever known. It was so thrilling being with him – he always had enough energy to fill up a room and stayed positive in any circumstance. Even though he could act like a complete idiot, Sarada liked all sides of him.

Boruto gripped her hand tightly, and Sarada wondered if this feeling was why people loved falling in love. It was so thrilling; addicting; it felt dangerous but like a safety net was waiting at the bottom. It felt like for once someone understood her better than she knew herself. It felt like she was _alive_.

Their bodies felt drawn closer together, the sparks between them flying, like two opposites of a magnet being pulled together. Boruto's lips parted to take in a quiet breath before his gaze flicked down. Sarada felt herself mirroring his expression, as their faces came closer and closer.

Sarada's throat burned as the butterflies in her stomach fluttered violently, feeling every vein pump throughout her body and her hands run cold. Boruto's grip still hadn't loosened. It made Sarada feel safe; secure.

"Can I kiss you?" He asked, their lips already centimeters apart. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes, Sarada wanted this. She smiled bigger than she ever had in her life.

"Yes." She said softly.

The gap closed, their lips met, and Sarada had never felt such bliss. Boruto's hand gently cupped behind her ear, and Sarada felt her entire body cover in shivers. What a feeling this was, it was incredible. Indescribable.

Their lips parted, but only after what felt like an eternity. Sarada was sure she was blushing, but didn't quite have the capacity to will it away in that moment. Such a special, intimate moment they just had. It was ingrained in Sarada's brain for the rest of her life. His touch, his look, his smell, his soft lips, his aura, everything.

She only caught herself with an ear splitting grin when Boruto mirrored it. They both laughed softly, then slowly it erupted into a chorus of giggles, his hand never leaving hers.

"Merry Christmas, Sarada." He said quietly, almost worried if he spoke too loud he'd destroy the peace, and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. Sarada fiddled her thumb with Boruto's; her eyes darting in every direction, then she finally landed on his blue irises.

"Merry Christmas, Boruto."

**XxX**


	11. XI: Birthday Boy

**XxX**

"Oh em GEE YOU GUYS _KISSED_!"

"Hima, shut _up_." Boruto whined, mashing buttons on his Xbox controller. "Don't talk to me."

They were back at their house that night after dinner at the Uchiha's, and somehow Himawari managed to get Boruto to spill the beans. He didn't know how, but she just had a way of making anyone confess their darkest secrets. He literally could not keep a single thing from her, it was irritating.

"I _told_ you you would! I told you, I told you, I told you–" Himawari pranced around his room with a sing-song voice. She then gasped and stopped in her tracks, cupping a hand over her ears. "Are those wedding bells I hear?"

Boruto glared daggers and chucked the pillow at her. She laughed hysterically as she dodged it, then grabbed it from the ground and flung it back at him. He blocked it with his foot, jumping to his feet and grabbed Himawari by her waist. She screamed as he threw her onto his bed and began beating her with his pillows.

"Okay, okay, okay, truce! Truce!" She begged, laughter falling in between each word. Boruto cackled as he let her free, and she huffed. "You're so much stronger than me, it's not fair!"

"Shoulda stayed in those martial arts classes!" He said. Himawari frowned and threw a kick at him, which he dodged with ease. She tried a forward thrust flat palm, but Boruto deflected it and sent the same move right back into her stomach. She yelped.

"I'm gonna beat you!"

"I'd like to see you try!" He dodged every one of her attacks, occasionally retaliating, but honestly he was having too much fun playing around with her. He attributed part of his great mood to it having been a good day, the other part to because of Sarada. He still didn't know how he felt about relationships, definitely still had a lot of insecurities and toxic traits...but, there was something telling him to move forward. To become better. To work on himself.

So, he supposed trying it out with Sarada couldn't hurt.

**XxX**

With Christmas now passed, Boruto's birthday was on Tuesday. In only one day he would be sixteen.

He didn't have any set plans, maybe hang out with Shikadai and Mitsuki, but honestly he wasn't feeling up to a huge party like he usually would've been, which was strange. Sixteen was a once in a lifetime chance, and Boruto didn't feel like fully grasping it.

"Boruto," Shikadai whined over Xbox Live that day. "What happened with you and Chocho? She's been complaining to me all day. Just suck it up and fix it."

"I don't have to do anything." Boruto snapped back.

"Boruto please, she's complaining to me too and it's starting to drive me crazy." Inojin pleaded on the other side of the mic.

"Wait, Boruto, you and Chocho are done? Can a bro swoop?" Iwabee said.

"Iwabee, that's against the bro code!" Denki shouted into his mic.

"You don't like her anymore?" Mitsuki asked next to him, even though he already knew everything. The group was playing Call of Duty; Boruto lazily splayed out on Mitsuki's lavish bed while eating sour candy. So far winter break had been so lukewarm. He groaned.

"A guy can only get bad head so many times." He scoffed. It wasn't true, but he needed them to get off his back about it somehow.

They all exclaimed disgust.

"Damn, there goes all my hopes and dreams!" Iwabee shouted. There was a clacking of the controller. "Boom, headshot!"

"Nice kill!" Denki exclaimed.

They were winning so far, but the team they were up against was holding strong. His friends seemed to drop the Chocho topic, so Boruto was grateful. If he even _mentioned_ he and Sarada were kind of a thing now, no one would take it seriously. They'd all just think it was one big joke, that Boruto was playing to prove that he could get an Uchiha. So it was a disaster no matter which way he looked at it. Mitsuki already had a good idea what was going on, then the next best person to tell would be Shikadai. But on Xbox Live with everyone at the same time? No way. If no one asked, Boruto would never tell.

"Oh, Inojin, you and Himawari get it on yet?" Iwabee cackled. Boruto scowled.

"Bro, that's my little sister. Disrespect."

"No!" Inojin screeched into his mic. "Boruto ignore him."

Iwabee was laughing hysterically. Boruto didn't find it funny. Only he could personally make fun of his sister all he wanted, but if anyone else did, he would chop their arm off. Mitsuki cast him a side glance and muted his mic.

"You're sensitive today. What's wrong?"

Boruto muted his mic as well. "I'm going through an eighth life crisis." he grumbled. Mitsuki smiled coolly as ever.

"If you say so."

"Aye, Boruto, we're hanging out tomorrow." Shikadai said. "Even if it's a drag to deal with you all day my dad wants to take us out to dinner."

Boruto unmuted his mic. "Better be a lot of food there!"

"Sweet. I'll let him know."

"Oh yeah, isn't tomorrow Boruto's–" Denki started to say, but Iwabee cut him off.

"Oh darn looks like you just got shot!"

"What? Why did you shoot me you idiot?!"

Boruto gave Mitsuki a weird look. He simply kept a smile on his face and blinked in response.

The next day, Boruto slept in and woke up in considerably a better mood. It was officially his birthday! He was going to open his presents, go get his official license, then hang out with Shikadai and the Nara family. It would be a nice, peaceful, enjoyable birthday.

Or, so he thought.

"Happy birthday big brother!" Himawari shouted, bursting into his room. He screamed as she jumped on top of him, smashing a palm full of whipping cream into his face.

"Hima!" He wiped it off his face and chased her out into the hallway. She was giggling profusely, practically jumping down the staircase, where the lights suddenly flipped on, revealing all his family in the kitchen with party hats, cake, streamers hanging from the ceiling, balloons, and confetti poppers.

"Surprise!" Everyone shouted, and Boruto stood there dumbfounded. He heard the snapping cameras, then Himawari smashed more whip cream into his face. Everyone laughed loudly while Boruto sighed, though he couldn't help but smile. He grinned deviously and put his sister in a headlock before slapping it back in her face. She squealed in protest while Boruto got his revenge.

Once he washed his face, styled his hair, and got dressed, he went downstairs to greet everyone. His grandpa Minato and grandma Kushina were there, godfather Jiraiya, uncle Neji and wife Tenten, aunt Hanabi, grandpa and grandma Hyuuga, family friends Kakashi and Yamato, Naruto's previous protege Konohamaru and his grandpa Sarutobi, Moegi, Udon, and Gaara and his adopted son, Shinki.

"Grandpa!" Boruto shouted. Minato hugged his grandson tightly. "I can't believe it! When did you get back?"

"Just yesterday, we wanted it to be a surprise." He said. Boruto's eyes glistened with inspiration. His grandparents were such badasses. They were in their late fifties, but still looked like they hadn't aged a day past thirty. They traveled around the world as environmentalists and were often busy so it was rare for them to be home.

"How long are you staying?" Boruto asked.

"Just for a couple days. Then we have to get back to work." Kushina said. Boruto frowned, then looked to his godfather Jiraiya. He was a badass; he was an infantry rifleman in the Marines, so he was rarely home as well. But if there was a family member Boruto had to pick he was closest with, it would be Jiraiya.

"What about you?" He asked.

"I'm on call for now." Jiraiya grinned with a thumbs up. "So I could possibly never go back!"

"I wish!" Boruto agreed. "I hate when you go. My dad isn't even half as cool as you."

They all laughed, and he made his way around each family member. He chattered to his uncle Neji mindlessly, while Tenten kept her hand on her belly. She was due within the next few months. They knew the gender, but still hadn't picked a name out. Neji worked as an electrical technician on airplanes and ships. He had been working on planes as a hobby ever since he was in his teens, Tenten often told him and Himawari stories of how when they were dating he spent more time with his planes than her, so everyone always teased that he was dating his airships.

It was always a fun story to hear, and finally Boruto made his way to Gaara and Shinki. They weren't family, but Boruto's mother had told him the story of when Naruto and Gaara were teens how he saved his life. Gaara had been in a dark place when his parents died, and Naruto didn't give up on him. Now, they were both lawyers and state representatives. So for Gaara to drive all the way here meant a lot to him. He'd adopted Shinki when he was a toddler after being abandoned in a foster home. He and Boruto had been close since the first day they met. It was unfortunate they lived in different states, but Boruto was always happy to go visit when they had the chance.

Boruto's chest felt warm and comfy the entire morning, and they had a large breakfast and he opened presents. Himawari handed him each present cheerfully, and he opened them with much vigor. There was one _huge_ box that Boruto couldn't wait to open! Himawari handed it to him happily.

"That ones huge!" Hanabi exclaimed. She glared at her sister. "You spoil your kids too much!"

Hinata chuckled sheepishly while Naruto only grinned. "Our kids work hard, they deserve it!"

Boruto quickly tore the wrapping paper off, opening the box, inside, was another box that was wrapped. He pulled it out and looked at his parents confused. Naruto looked a little _too _proud of his practical joke. He cackled loudly.

"Go on, open it!"

Boruto gave him a grim expression and did so less enthusiastically. It carried on until the boxes got smaller, and smaller, and smaller, and Boruto was convinced at this point he was going to get a grain of rice. Unbeknownst to him, the present was in the last box he was refusing to open.

"Dad, this is dumb!"

"No, just open it! I promise!" Naruto urged.

Boruto glared at him, tearing off the paper indignantly and opening the box. Inside, a pair of keys laid, and Boruto almost fainted. He quickly grabbed them.

"No way!"

"Go outside." Naruto said. Boruto and everyone scrambled out of the house, cameras ready, and he burst through the front door. In the driveway was parked a brand new, sleek black Mazda hatchback. He almost fell to his knees.

"No way!" He ran around the perimeter of the car. "This is awesome!"

Naruto grinned victoriously, meanwhile Jiraiya chuckled from behind him.

"How long you give him before he totals it?"

"Three months." Gaara said. Hinata laughed while Naruto folded his arms indignantly.

"I don't know what you guys are talking about, my son is a great driver!"

"Honey, you're not the one who practiced for his permit test with him." Hinata said with a smile. Naruto's mouth gaped open.

"Mom, can I drive it, pleaaase?" Boruto ran up to her and clasped his hands together. She shook her head.

"We can later, everyone's here to see you."

"We'll be fine here." Minato put his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "He's just a kid, let him go have fun with it."

"We need to get going anyway." Neji said. "Tenten has a doctor's appointment today."

"Boruto say bye to Neji before he leaves!" Hinata said. He quickly ran over to his uncle and gave him a hug.

"Thanks for coming!" He said. Neji smiled.

"Happy birthday. You're so lucky to have such good parents. Take care of them like they take care of you."

That statement didn't quite ring as nicely in Boruto's ears as it should've. His dad didn't take care of them, he was never home and when he was, he tried to parent like he knew what he was doing. Boruto understood that without his dad's hard work they wouldn't have all these nice things, but he didn't respect him. Naruto was a horrible dad and tried to make up for it by sending them chain letter emails or buying them nice things; like the car.

Boruto had fully expected a car for his birthday, in all honesty. His dad wouldn't let his ego be bruised by _not _getting his son something so extravagant. He was so ridiculous.

"Yeah, I will." He replied half hearted, and hugged Tenten goodbye. Once Boruto put his shoes on, Naruto grabbed the keys and begrudgingly Boruto went to the DMV with just the two of them while Hinata and Himawari stayed back to host.

The ride was silent, and Boruto couldn't fully enjoy his new car with his dad humming to some dumb oldies song. He was trying to look at all the modifications he could add, but Naruto started talking.

"The man of the house is sixteen." He said. Boruto rolled his eyes and slumped on his palm, resting on the window. "How does it feel?"

"Like nothing new. I'm still me."

"I remember when I turned sixteen. Sai, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Choji, Neji, and Kiba all threw me a surprise party. It was almost better than my twenty-first birthday!" He cackled loudly. "But I was married to your mother then, so I had calmed down. Aren't you and Chocho boyfriend and girlfriend?"

If Boruto had been drinking anything, it definitely would have been sprayed all over the dashboard. He looked at him incredulously.

"No, we weren't ever dating."

"Really?" Naruto tilted his head. "At your age, there was this girl in my class. She reminds me a lot of Inojin's mom, Ino, and–"

Boruto tuned him out, yawning. He was itching to drive this car himself, he could tell that it had power and could really _race_. He couldn't wait to flaunt it to all his friends later and take it to the Sunday meetups. Mitsuki, Shikadai, Iwabee, and Inojin had already turned sixteen, so they had gotten their bragging rights already.

They got his license, and Boruto begged his dad to let him drive home. It was a manual shift, which Boruto wasn't too great at, but he knew the basics. Naruto was hesitant at first, but when Boruto peeled out of the driveway onto the freeway, Naruto definitely was clutching to the seat for dear life.

The only people left when they got back were his grandparents and Jiraiya. Boruto immediately ran to his room, getting on Xbox Live to see who was online. No one. Strange.

His phone started ringing moments later. It was Shikadai. Boruto answered fervently.

"You'll never guess what!"

"_You got a car for your birthday."_

"Yeah–! Wait, how'd you know?"

"_Your dad is so predictable."_ Shikadai said. _"So you gonna pull up now or what? My family will be waiting for you. And you know how my mom gets."_

Boruto shuddered. "Alright, I'll be there in ten."

He grabbed a jacket, and flew down the stairs saying bye to everyone before dashing to the door. Right as he opened it, he stumbled into someone. Surprisingly, it was Sarada bundled up in a tan pea coat with a red scarf and earmuffs. She gasped, and quickly let go of him.

"S-Sorry!" She stuttered, and Boruto shook his head.

"Sarada!" He said, his mind still racing. He took a few breaths to come back to reality. He looked her up and down and closed the door behind him. "Wha–What are you doing here?"

"Um, sorry, I should've told you I was coming over, I just wanted to drop something off really quick." She held up a small gift bag. "And...you made me cookies, and got me that necklace, so I wanted to get you a birthday present."

Boruto's mind was finally relaxing just enough to register what was happening. Sarada got him a birthday present, and she looked really pretty. Her glasses were slightly foggy which made him smile, but then he remembered Christmas Eve. His face flushed red. They kissed four days ago. Right.

"Oh, wow, uh..." He took it from her. No girl had ever been _this_ thoughtful before. It was...a strange feeling.

She smiled. "My uncle Itachi is taking us skiing, so this was the only time I could drop it off. I hope you like it."

Boruto took a hold of her wrist. She gasped and looked down at their contact. Boruto leaned forward and quickly kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you."

She blushed, a warm smile on her face. "See you later," She said, stepping down the porch and waving.

Boruto waved, watching her walk out of sight, then finally the cold caught up to him. He shivered and held on tighter to the gift bag. He didn't open it until he was in his car to keep prying eyes from seeing. A gift from Sarada, wow. He never imagined something could make him feel this way.

There was a small paper inside, it said _Happy Sweet Sixteen, thank you for everything. -Sarada. _

Boruto smiled then pulled out the gift.

Inside the small box was a stainless steel cross necklace. It was a dark charcoal color, and just the right size, not too chunky, but not extremely petite either.

Wow. Sarada was incredible. Boruto almost felt guilty that he hadn't texted her at all since they'd seen each other; he'd been so distracted with everything else. Sarada truly was so kind, she managed to leave him in awe on more occasions than one.

He wanted to spend more time with her...but she said she would be skiing all day with her family, and Boruto was going with Shikadai's family tonight. He sighed. There was a feeling in his chest he didn't recognize, but he knew Sarada had to be part of the cure. So tomorrow, he'd see her for sure.

He put the necklace on, and examined himself in his rear view mirror. It suited him perfectly. The thought, time, and effort Sarada must've put into picking this gift made his heart swell.

Besides driving leisurely to get to know his car (which would piss off Temari to no end from how long he was taking) Boruto wanted more time to think about Sarada. Her eyes, her hair, her laugh, her smile, her kindness, everything about her was just so enameling. Boruto had never felt this way before...or even allowed himself to like someone this much in a long time. It was crazy.

Pulling into the driveway, Shikadai opened the door, a frazzled expression on his face.

"About time, my mom was gonna kill me _then_ you!"

Boruto laughed, locking his car then running inside.

**XxX**

The Nara's took him out to a teppanyaki, and all had fun catching food in their mouths and watching the chef cook right in front of him. Boruto was stuffed by the time they came back, and Shikadai pulled Boruto to the side.

"We're going to Mitsuki's. He wanted to throw you a tiny party just with the guys."

"Sweet!" Boruto and Shikadai hopped in his car, and while Boruto started the ignition, Shikadai admired the interior.

"Damn, this is a nice car."

"I know right. And just listen to the engine!"

"People will hear you from a mile away, that's for sure." Shikadai folded his arms, and Boruto pulled out of the driveway. Only a few times did he stall, but they got to Mitsuki's house with ease.

They walked up to the front door, and Shikadai didn't bother knocking. All the lights were off, then suddenly they all flipped on. Boruto jumped when tons of people jumped out and screamed,_ "Surprise!"_

After his initial shock, Boruto glared at Shikadai. "A tiny party?"

He shrugged sheepishly, but Boruto definitely wasn't complaining. It had been quite a while since he'd let loose. Bring on the alcohol!

He was deep into a game of truth or shot when a hand touched his shoulder. He turned around to see Chocho with her hands on her hips indignantly. He choked on his tequila. When the hell did she get here?

"Boruto Uzumaki, you have a lot of explaining to do!"

"Oh god." He said, looking to Mitsuki and Shikadai for help, but Chocho dragged him by the shirt collar out of the circle. He quickly scrambled to his feet and ran his fingers through his disheveled hair, trying to distance himself as much as possible. He beelined toward Mitsuki's room, but she was hot on his heels.

"I can't believe you refuse to talk to me! Do you know how immature you're being about everything, I did so much for you and paid for _everything_! You just wanted me for a hookup didn't you?!"

"_Yes_, Chocho, you're right!" He threw his arms out. "What happened at your birthday party was supposed to be a one time thing, I never wanted it to be anything more. So please, for the love of _God_ leave me alone, because whatever you thought _this_ was, it's over." He may be drunk, but he would still hold his ground. Chocho clenched her fists.

"Then why didn't you tell me that sooner!"

"I did! But you're just not getting it in your head!" He said, exasperated.

"Who gave you that chain?" Chocho asked uncharacteristically quietly. Boruto scoffed.

"Why does it matter?" The sides were barely visible, but somehow girls noticed everything.

"Because all the times I went to your house I _never _saw that. And it's not something you'd buy for yourself. So who gave it to you? Another girl?"

"Stop with the insecurity, it's so damn annoying. If you didn't realize, it's my birthday, so I got it today as a gift."

"From who?"

"None of your business."

"From _who_?!"

"God–" Boruto's brain was about to explode. "Sarada, okay?"

"Sarada?" She sounded outraged to cover up her surprise. "So you really are hooking up with Sarada now."

"No–no." Boruto smacked a hand to his face. "That's not what it is."

"If you play her like you played me I'll be so mad! You better not hurt her because that's my best friend!"

Boruto deadpanned. Yeah, it was _obvious _how great of friends they were_._

"I'm not playing her."

"Then why are you wearing it?"

"You know, that's a great question." Boruto was running out of patience. Besides, he didn't owe any explanation to her. He was wearing it because it was a thoughtful gift, and it was his style and he adored the girl. But he wasn't going to say that out loud.

He should've just lied and said it was from his mom.

"But does she mean nothing to you?" Chocho continued.

"What, no," He defended. No, of course she meant something to him, he wouldn't wear the necklace if she didn't. What kind of a question was that?

"Wow. Break my heart now you're going after my best friends'." Chocho looked on the verge of tears. "You're literally horrible. I should've never fallen for you."

She walked away, and Boruto was extremely confused. Chocho made no sense, and she actually _had_ liked him? He always thought she was joking. And he swore she and Sarada weren't friends anymore for how much shit Chocho talked on her. He sighed. This is why he hated girl drama.

He tried to not let the rest of the night drag on, but with Chocho's looming presence in every corner of the room, it was hard to enjoy himself. When he asked Shikadai why she was here, he only shrugged.

"It was the only way to get her off my case about you. I told her we were throwing a surprise party and she demanded she be invited or she'd rat us out to our parents"

"She's literally insane." Boruto said. "I'm negative two tequila shots too sober for this. Come on."

A few shots and some songs later, Boruto, Mitsuki, and Iwabee were in a circle with other boys, Chocho, and a few other girls playing spin the bottle, kiss or tell edition. Boruto's luck with this game was legendary—not once had it ever landed on him in the existence of his partying days and it was iconic. Everyone who had been to a party with Boruto Uzumaki knew this, and people had always tried to break his streak but to no avail.

This specific game the bottle was spun, and whoever it landed on, they either had to kiss them or admit their crush. And for a bunch of fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen year olds, admitting a crush could either make or break their social lives. It was a big deal.

It was a girl's turn that Boruto didn't know, he was pretty sure her name was Ava, and Chocho was sure to send Boruto a glare before the bottle was spun. He smirked, knowing fully well it wouldn't land on him. As the bottle came to a slow stop, and the whole circle went dead silent. Boruto couldn't conceal his shock.

"Damn, they finally got you." Iwabee said from beside him. Boruto was speechless.

"Kiss or tell?" Chocho said cockily from the side of Ava. Like hell he'd ever kiss some random girl, but he couldn't get away with saying he didn't have a single crush. Absolutely no one would believe him. And admitting he had a small thing for Sarada would completely ruin him, as well as drag her into drama she didn't need. He couldn't do that to her; not here, not now.

The conflict in his eyes was visible. Girls started whispering, and Mitsuki leaned close to his ear.

"You don't have to do anything. It's just a game." He said. Boruto grimaced.

"Well?" Chocho said expectantly. Her and Boruto held an intense gaze before he huffed.

"This game is stupid anyway. I'm done."

He stood up, and Chocho did too, taking Ava with her. Poor innocent girl was caught in the crossfire.

"What, you won't kiss her 'cause of your new _girl friend_?"

Boruto stopped in his tracks.

Chocho smirked and threw her hair behind her shoulder. "Or the girl you broke up with me for? That you cheated on me with?"

"It's common knowledge that you're an insecure bitch but now we can all add liar to that list." He said sardonically. "Just shut up already and leave me alone. I said I'm done."

"Oh, so no one else knows then." Chocho smirked, her arms folded. "I wouldn't want to tell anyone either, because she's such a downgrade. Such a skanky hoe compared to me. Everyone, listen up!" She said loudly, and the music blaring throughout the house quieted. "Boruto Uzumaki cheated on me with–"

With no other choice, Boruto pushed his and Ava's lips together. Everyone gasped, and now the whole party's attention was on them. Chocho was silenced at first, but then smirked in victory. He pulled away and wiped his mouth off with his sleeve, a look of disgust etched across his expression. What an evil, petty person. What had he gotten himself into, what did he get _Sarada_ into?

Ava looked completely dazed, but Boruto wasn't paying attention to her. His harsh gaze was pinpointed right on Chocho's cocky expression. She knew exactly what she'd done. This blackmail was bound to bite him in the ass soon.

"You'll never win against me." She said matter-of-fact. They locked eyes for a moment longer before turning away in defeat. He went to Mitsuki's room and locked himself in it the rest of the night.

**XxX**


	12. XII: Accountability

In retrospect, it was better off not knowing the atrocity of the drama hurricane that'd blown through last night. Staying curled in Mitsuki's bed with a horrible hangover for fifty years seemed like a lesser punishment than having to face reality. Boruto's heart felt twisted and sore.

There was a soft knock, and Mitsuki came through the door and shut it quietly.

"Are you okay?"

At the question, Boruto felt like he wanted to disappear. He didn't know how to get out of this one. It was strange, he didn't have _overwhelming_ feelings for Sarada, it was mostly the fact that if he had a sliver of a chance before, he really wouldn't now. Things had been going so good, and now they were ruined. He was severely disappointed in himself.

"No." He said. Mitsuki was someone he could trust indefinitely. But that didn't make admitting his feelings any easier. "I fucked up, Mitsuki."

"Why?"

"Because," He scrubbed both hands down his face. "I just...made a huge mistake last night."

"Who was Chocho talking about?" He said. Boruto sighed.

"She was talking about Sarada."

"Really."

He nodded.

"I kind of figured." Mitsuki crossed his legs. "She gave you that necklace, didn't she?"

At the mention of it, Boruto held on to it. "Yeah...yesterday morning."

"Why wasn't she at the party yesterday?"

"She said her family went skiing for the day. That's why they weren't at my family party either 'cause they were packing."

"Hm. I see."

Boruto rolled to his side. "I just...don't know what to do now. Chocho set me up big time."

Mitsuki sat next to Boruto. "Well, for one, she's never allowed to our parties ever again–" Boruto snorted, "–and, as soon as you can, go talk to Sarada before Chocho can get ahold of her."

Boruto smothered his face into the pillow. "It's no use. Sarada probably already hates me again."

"How do you know that?" Mitsuki raised a brow. With one swift movement, he swept the covers off of Boruto, and he gasped at the sudden rush of cold air. "I can't believe I'm saying this to _you, _but stop overthinking. You don't even know that Chocho talked to her."

Boruto groaned, curling up in a ball. "They're _girls! _After something like that though of _course_ Chocho is going to spill everything to her."

"I thought they weren't friends, though."

"They're not." Boruto muttered.

Mitsuki looked at his friend for a long, quiet moment. He did truly seem torn up about it, after all he was thrust into the situation without much time to think and did what he deemed the best option. Mitsuki could clearly see where Boruto was coming from – he wanted to protect Sarada. And that alone showed he cared about her more than he let on, he was just horrible at showing it.

"Boruto," Mitsuki sat on the bed next to him, "so what if Chocho already told her? Wouldn't you rather offer her an explanation so she can decide what to do from there, or are you just going to run away again?"

Boruto didn't say anything. He stared at the ceiling, his mind blazing with thoughts. If he did go there, what was he supposed to say? Would Sarada even accept his explanation? Was he even _ready_ to admit his feelings out loud? Regardless, Mitsuki was right. An anxious feeling bubbled in the pit of his stomach, and he propped himself up onto his elbows with a sigh.

"What time is it?"

"Two-thirty."

Boruto blinked. "Seriously?!"

Mitsuki shrugged. "I tried to wake you up earlier."

Boruto swore under his breath, throwing the blankets to the side. Scratching his pounding head, he stumbled to gather his keys, wallet, and his shoes. His hangover was miserable, but he had no time to gripe and groan. A phone call would not suffice, this was a conversation to be had in person. He didn't even know if their family was back from their ski trip, but he had to try.

He hopped in his car, only stalling twice, and pulled up to Sarada's house. No matter what, he _had_ to clear things up, whether she was aware of what happened or not. The _one_ thing she was big on was trust. They had come so far. It was stupid and defeating how easily things could be falling apart just from one miscommunication especially due to _Chocho. _

There was a car in the driveway. Thank God. That meant they had to be home from their ski trip. Boruto jogged onto her front porch, knocked, and the anxiety was killing him. His foot tapped mercilessly, and the door opened to reveal her uncle Itachi.

"Is...Sarada here?" Boruto asked. Itachi stared at him evenly.

"No. She's at a friends house."

Damn. Boruto tried to conceal his disappointment. He ran his fingers through his messy hair.

"Okay, sorry for bothering."

Itachi closed the door, and Boruto trudged down the front steps but then paused.

Wait, Itachi lied. What was he talking about? Sarada didn't have friends.

**XxX**

Sarada was laying face down into her pillow. There was no way to describe how she was feeling, truly. Bummed out, disappointed, angry, betrayed, were some adjectives that came to mind. On the car ride home, Chocho called her that morning, asked if they could talk in person, and Sarada had hesitantly complied. She almost wished she hadn't, but now there was nothing she could do.

"_Sarada," Chocho had cried over the phone. "I...need to tell you something. About Boruto."_

"_What is it?" Sarada asked. An unsettling feeling pooled in her stomach._

"_I can't tell you over the phone. Can I come over?"_

_So she did once Sarada was back home and settled in, and they had sat on Sarada's bed. Sarada had been clutching the ruby necklace Boruto had given her, though Chocho didn't seem to notice._

"_Well…" Chocho fiddled with her hair. "First, I'm really sorry about what happened between us because of Boruto. I realize how stupid I was about it, and I miss you as a friend. I should've never done what I did."_

_Sarada's heart swelled. Chocho missed her? Was this the growing up Itachi had talked to her about? The redemption felt nice. For once, Sarada felt validated. She smiled. _

"_Hey, it's okay. I'm not mad at you. Maybe at first I was, but I'm just glad he's not between us anymore."_

_Chocho was silent, and that wasn't what Sarada had been expecting. The next expected topic of conversation was the ski trip Sarada had just gotten home from, but Chocho's energy said differently. Something else was up._

"_What's wrong?" Sarada asked. There was a strong feeling that Chocho wasn't here to ask about her ski trip or redeem their friendship after all._

"_Um, well, I know you and Boruto are a thing now, and Boruto had a party last night so I was wondering why you weren't there."_

"_My family went skiing up north...I didn't know he had a party. Was it fun?" Sarada questioned. _

_She wasn't aware, he didn't tell her. Not that he was obligated to anyway. Her family had been invited to his family party that morning, but since they were packing all morning they had declined, thus Sarada had to quickly deliver his birthday present. _

_Boruto and Sarada were still navigating this weird "kind of liking each other situationship but neither knew what to do about it so they weren't looking too deep into it" type of friendship. Boruto had been Sarada's first kiss and it was special, but it completely slipped her mind to ask how Chocho knew they had a "thing" because they hadn't spoken for months, the only way she'd know is if Boruto told her himself. _

_If that was the case, then that was a whole other conversation loaded with questions._

"_I swear he would've invited you," Chocho said, and it's like she wasn't even listening to what Sarada was saying, "but he was all over every girl last night and making out with every single one. When I asked him about you he kept changing the subject, treating you like you were the dirt on his shoe! He said he hated the necklace you got him, and I even asked him if you even meant anything to him he said no!"_

_Sarada dipped her head in confusion, the icy anxiety festering in her chest. Her heart was thudding. "Wh-What? What...do you mean?"_

"_He doesn't care about you Sarada, and I don't want you getting hurt like I did! Look," she pulled out her phone and showed Sarada the picture of Boruto kissing Ava. Sarada's whole body went cold. "This is the only evidence I could get. He's a cheater, Sarada. You can't trust him! He threw this party because he knew you were going to be out of town so he could get with other girls! I even found him in Mitsuki's bedroom taking some girls' clothes off! Ugh, he disgusts me."_

"_Um…" There were honestly no words. How was she supposed to react? She was disappointed, her head was muddy, and her body was trembling with anxiety. She honestly thought Boruto had changed. But the proof was right in front of her face. She may have bad eyesight but she wasn't blinded enough by infatuation to turn the other cheek._

_Chocho clasped Sarada's hands between her own. "He's the worst, I can't believe you ever saw anything in hmi! Please get over him Sarada, he's lying and playing you just like he did to me! I kept trying to expose him and he kicked me out of the party, he's so immature and I kept asking him why he would do this to you, and he was like, "it's none of your business," and then would find a girl to make out with."_

_There was an elongated silence that ensued. Sarada was staring at the floor with a blank expression on her face. Finally, Sarada spoke._

"_Well...thanks for telling me." She said softly. She didn't know what else to say._

_Chocho embraced her in a hug. "I'm here if you need anything." And she left. _

_So obviously she didn't want to be friends again, Chocho only wanted to snitch on Boruto and ruin his and Sarada's relationship. But still. The realization that Boruto was still lying to her about his character bummed her out. He hadn't changed a single bit. He only put up a front around Sarada. _

Tears began welling up in her eyes. She had really started to like Boruto, but for him to go and do that with _proof _was telling of his character. It was all an act. He was fake with everyone, Sarada wasn't anything special. She never had been. The cookies, and the necklace was all a really good ploy. He had even said it himself, _"say all the right things, kiss them once or twice, spend time with them, buy them cute things, then boom, they're hooked."_ He'd literally laid it out on a blueprint in front of her and she had ignored it thinking she was an exception to the rules. Boruto had put on his little show and fooled Sarada good.

A knock on her window jolted her upwards. Boruto was there, a concerned expression on his face. Sarada immediately sprung upright to her feet.

"Sarada." He leaned his head against the window. "Can we talk?"

Without a word, she drew her blinds closed. Her heart was thudding a million miles a minute. Boruto was _here_?! What the hell?!

Silence followed. After a few moments, she peeked through a slit in the blinds. Boruto was still sitting atop the roof, head leaning against the panelling of the house.

"Please."

Sarada couldn't stand the kicked puppy look he was giving her, and she supposed it _was_ cold outside. She might as well be hospitable, even though her hair was in a messy bun, her mascara was smeared, and she was wearing his hoodie. How embarrassing.

She opened her window and he crawled in. Closing the window behind him, he stayed put in his spot. Sarada sat on the furthest end of her bed.

Silence.

"How...was your skiing trip?"

Sarada felt a surge of irritation. He knew what he did, yet was here trying to make small talk.

"It was fine."

Silence.

"I, uh, can't tell if you're upset." He said.

If she wasn't upset before, she was now. "Oh, upset over what? You're _my_ first kiss, then four days later are kissing someone else? Like, do you take me for a joke? I saw the picture."

Boruto knew it. Chocho had fed her lies and now she was going to shut him out again. He clenched his fist. "_Listen_, Chocho is lying to you, she's trying to get back at me for not being with her! I promise it's not what it looks like."

"She had a _picture_, Boruto, of you kissing some other girl! I don't know about you, but being my first kiss was a pretty big deal, and you're treating it like nothing! Chocho said you admitted you don't even care about me and you hate the necklace I got you!"

Boruto's eyes widened. "_What_?! Sarada, are you kidding me? That's a complete lie, I swear I never said those things."

Sarada stood up, her fists held tight. "Chocho said she asked you straight up if I even meant anything to you, and you said no!"

Boruto stared at her in shock. What the hell was she going on about, he'd never said such things. He was going through the events chronologically in his brain thinking back to his and Chocho's conversation. God, this was so difficult being as drunk as he was last night and as hungover as he was this morning. His memory was shit. Then it hit him.

"_I'm not playing her." _

"_Then why are you wearing it?"_

"_You know, that's a great question." _

"_But does she mean nothing to you?"_

"_What, no."_

"God," Boruto ran his hands through his hair. "Fuck. Okay. Listen, Sarada, Chocho twisted my words. She asked if you meant nothing to me, and I said no, because you _do_ mean something to me. She worded it in a way that I got confused, and I was drunk as hell last night and already had problems thinking straight, but I know for a fact I did not say you meant nothing to me, and I did not say I hated the necklace. I knew how much your first kiss meant to you, so I wouldn't have made a move if I was just going to play you. I'm not this big man whore people are making me out to be. God, Chocho is making all that shit up."

Sarada's posture loosened. The plausibility that Boruto was telling the truth was a lot higher than Chocho telling the truth, because she tended to take things to the extreme. There were so many things running through Sarada's head, one of them popping out that Boruto admitting he cared about her. But that was besides the point, there was still a picture to prove he did in fact kiss someone else last night.

"Then what about that picture? Chocho said you didn't invite me because you wanted to make out with everyone there behind my back and she even walked in on you taking off someone's clothes. You're sitting here telling me one thing and then acting completely different behind my back? What am I supposed to believe?

"You can believe _me_ when I say I know I was set up. I didn't even _know_ about this party, my friends planned everything as a surprise and if I had known I would've invited you, I swear. But you were going skiing with your family. And I didn't know Chocho was going to be there either. I never took anyone's clothes off, and I didn't make out with every girl there. We were playing spin the bottle kiss or tell, and when it landed on me I tried to walk away. Sarada I swear to you," He took a step closer to her and grabbed her hand, though she tried to lean away stubbornly. It only made him hold on tighter.

"It landed on Ava, that girl in our grade. You know the rules, it's either kiss them or say your crush, and the last thing I wanted to do was drag you into any more problems. Chocho was saying horrible things and trying to make it seem like I cheated on her with you, and calling you names, and just making up ridiculous rumors so I had to follow through with the stupid game and kiss someone or she was going to throw you in the middle of all this drama."

Sarada was surprised he was being so open, but that didn't erase the gravity of the current events. So many emotions and thoughts were swirling through her head.

For one, Boruto admitting indirectly that Sarada was his crush was one thing. That made the butterflies in her body flutter like crazy. But him not wanting to admit he had a crush on Sarada in front of everyone just proved he was still saving face and acting fake. So the butterflies were quickly exterminated with weeping disappointment.

The next thing was Chocho obviously had an agenda: break up Sarada and Boruto. And while Sarada now believed Boruto, that still didn't take away that he was embarrassed to admit he had a crush on _her_. He had good intentions, it just severely missed its intended target.

"Well, you saved your reputation. Congratulations."

Boruto frowned. "Hey, don't be like that.

"Like _what_? You could've simply said you didn't have a crush!"

"It's not that simple, that conversation Chocho and I had she kept bugging me until I told her who I got the necklace from. You know how she is, she took it to the next level and was going to throw you in the middle of everything!"

"No, stop trying to put all this on Chocho and take some accountability! There's a reason people will believe these rumors about you so easily, so look at yourself for once and stop blaming other people. Y_ou're_ just embarrassed to be linked to me! That's _your_ problem, not mine."

Boruto flinched back. "N-No, I'm not embarrassed, I just…"

Sarada kept her stern gaze on him. He was looking everywhere but her, and that was all the confirmation she needed. He had no excuses simply because it was the truth. Sarada was no Chocho Akimichi, or his former ex girlfriend Eden Sommer, and Boruto knew that. She was Sarada Uchiha. Plain, unfashionable, nerdy, boring Sarada Uchiha. Not a super model, she didn't turn heads, she wasn't popular. She was just Sarada. And that wasn't good enough for Boruto to want to claim.

Sarada tried to never act based on emotion, which was lucky in this case because hers were all over the place. _The_ Boruto Uzumaki admitted he cared about her, and she was his crush, but it meant nothing because his actions around others didn't show it. She had to look at the facts, not the emotional obligation.

This was too much at once.

"I don't want someone around me that doesn't appreciate _me_ for who I am. You show me in private that you care, and I believe you when it's just us. But when it comes to everyone else, you'd rather pretend I didn't exist."

Boruto looked to the floor. Sarada felt tears pool in the corner of her eyes.

"You had me convinced I was special, but you even said it yourself. It's easy to get any girl you want, and I just became another name on your list. You think you like me until you realized everyone was going to judge you and you couldn't have your reputation taking a hit for liking _Sarada Uchiha." _Sarada seethed.

Boruto's eyes were closed, his fists clamped together tightly, until he slowly looked up at her. His eyes were bloodshot and glossy.

"It's not like that." He said.

Sarada kept their intense gazes locked.

"I don't believe you."

Boruto's shoulders drooped, and he slowly let go of Sarada's hand. Her hand was left feeling cold as he carefully raised his hands behind his head, unclasped the cross necklace she had given him off his neck, and set it in her hand gently. "Keep it. I don't deserve it _or_ you."

Without another word, he climbed back out her window.

**XxX**

If Sarada had a dollar every time Boruto's name was brought up Monday morning back at school, she would be a trillionaire. Rumors were flying; saying Boruto cheated on Chocho, Boruto slept with this girl, Boruto kissed that girl, Boruto was dating Chocho, Boruto did this, Boruto said that, and most shocking of all, Boruto had a crush?! Frankly, it was driving Sarada up a wall. People must've been way too bored with their own lives to want to stay talking about someone else.

Of course, Boruto was back to his usual cocky self, so nothing new changed there. There was no longer a guilty-conscious resident in his mind since Sarada metaphorically set him free from having to stress about breaking it to the general public that he had a crush on Sarada Uchiha. The only difference was now there were rumors about all the infidelities that happened at the party.

"Oh my God, Chocho said Boruto cheated on her with some skank." Sarada overheard two girls saying in her homeroom. "I wonder who that hoe is?"

"A downgrade, just like she said." The other girl responded. "Probably ugly and looking for popularity. If she wanted to be noticed so bad why don't we know her name?"

"We should ask Chocho since she knows."

"No! She's probably still upset about it."

"But her and Boruto are back together!"

"No they're not, Chocho told me she hasn't forgiven him. He's begging for her back, though." A third girl joined the conversation. The first two girls gasped.

"No way!"

"Oh my gosh, are you guys talking about Boruto?! Apparently he's dating that girl he kissed at his party!"

"Ava?"

"Yeah! She said so herself!""

Sarada was fed up. Being in this setting was not helping her at all. She threw her shoulder bag over her head and stormed out of the room. When Boruto said he was set up, he sure was right about that one. But that didn't matter. No matter how hard he tried to stay out of drama, he somehow always ended up being in the spotlight. People were way too concerned with Boruto's life. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise; Sarada was content with her small little bubble she had created for herself and now it was going to stay that way. No drama, no rumors, no fakes, nothing. It had almost been burst, but removing herself from the public eye by taking back halls and disappearing into the crowd was helping significantly.

"Sarada!" Metal ran up to her at her locker, still jogging in place once he caught up. "How are you feeling today?"

She shrugged. She was too defeated to come up with an authentic answer. "The same as usual."

"Would you like to come watch me run five miles today?" He asked with a large grin.

"If I didn't have paperwork I would."

Metal gave her a thumbs up. "Then do not worry! I'll see you later!" He waved as he jogged away. She shook her head. Metal was such a character, he always made her day.

Sarada dreaded going back to the homeroom. Boruto had been taken off probation so was therefore allowed back into the student council. They would be stuck alone in a room for up to two hours in complete awkward silence, since it was Monday it was just the two of them. Standing in front of the doorway, she took a deep breath and slid open the door. Boruto was already there, tapping his pen impatiently.

"Took you long enough."

"Drop it." Sarada glared, and Boruto immediately recoiled. When he was blunt, he just expected Sarada to take it, but he could never handle it when she dished it back. It was because she was so nice and sweet all the time that when she finally snapped, Boruto very quickly knew she meant it.

"I'm sorry."

He sounded so genuinely hurt. He was well aware of what Sarada had been feeling and the rumors she'd been hearing all day, but Sarada held her composure.

"Let's just get it done quickly."

Their conversations kept strictly to school-related only, even though Sarada caught Boruto staring in her direction more than once. Her mind drifted to Metal who had invited her to watch his exercise. Being suffocated in this room with Boruto was driving her crazy.

Hm. Maybe a change of scenery would do her some good after all.

"Boruto, I'm going to the track." She said firmly. "Finish these papers for me."

He blinked, then his expression turned incredulous. "You're kidding?"

"No, I'm not." She snipped, and he flinched. "I have my reasons, and I've had enough alone time with you for one day."

Boruto frowned. "Don't be unreasonable–"

"I don't want to hear it." As she turned to open the door, he quickly grabbed her arm.

Instinctively, she quickly swung her free elbow towards his temple, but he blocked it swiftly, then pressed her against the door.

"Knock your shit! Listen, I know this whole situation is shitty, but just stop listening to everyone." He said. "I wouldn't have given you that necklace if you didn't mean something to me. I wouldn't have made you cookies either, I don't do that shit for just anyone."

She narrowed her eyes, her hand subconsciously grabbing the ruby necklace hanging around her neck.

"_You_ walked out on _me _and gave _your_ necklace back_, _that's pretty telling about how you really feel!" Her gaze was intense. "You know what, Boruto, you can't beg me to trust you and tell me you care when you don't even show it! If you care about me you'd show it all the time, not just when it's convenient for you! Just accept the fact that you're a liar who cares _way_ more about being what other people want you to be rather than being who _you _actually are and sleeps with every girl that looks at you."

Boruto looked at her and took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"You really believe that?" His voice cracked.

Sarada couldn't look him in the eyes.

"Let me go."

His eyes quivered, but he did as she said. As she flipped her hair behind her shoulder, the ruby crystal caught a sliver of light from the sunset, making it flash red across the hallway. His heart felt twisted.

He was an idiot. But Sarada was right. About everything. She was way too smart and observant to be fooled by his bullshit. He honestly had good intentions deep down and thought he was ready, but really he wasn't. This wasn't one of their typical miscommunications, this was all on Boruto. He always blamed other people rather than self-reflecting and realizing how his actions played a part in his reputation. Sure, Chocho took things out of context, but at the end of the day, it was so believable due to Boruto's lack of integrity.

Now, the only thing he could do was just hope she would wait long enough for him to gather the courage to be himself, and then he would have no fears of others' judgement getting in the way of his feelings. It was stupid. _He_ was stupid.

As long as Sarada kelt that necklace on, he had hope that he could still fix this. If she took it off, that meant she was done for good.

Metal was hyping himself up. There was shouting, cheering, and whooping heard as Sarada approached the track field. Her head felt hazy, she didn't like it. The fresh air was doing her good, though, as she sat on the bleachers far away. She couldn't seem to tear her mind off of Boruto, though, and it made her heart twist in uncomfortable knots.

"Sarada!" She heard Metal's voice from far away as he jogged closer. "You made it!"

She smiled, curling closer into her coat. "Yeah, sorry I didn't get here earlier!"

"That is okay!" He said, his voice slowly fading as he ran around the corner. "I still have one more lap!"

She liked Metal's aura. It was clear, strong, and precise. Boruto's was often changing, very muddy, and stressed her out. But at the same time, she couldn't deny the chemistry they had. Just being in the same room as him made her feel some type of way.

But he was a liar, immature, and placed his worth upon other people's opinions. He wasn't honest nor reliable. It was vital that Sarada come to terms with that fully and completely put a close to their relationship or else they'd continue to bounce back and forth like they have for so long.

Once Metal was finished with his lap, he ran over to Sarada.

"Barely made my goal!"

"Good job!" Sarada laughed. Short shorts really weren't a good look on him, but it was an essential for runners, so it was excused.

After taking large gulps of water, Metal let out a refreshing sigh.

"I feel great! Are you busy right now?"

"No, why?"

"Do you want to go out for ice cream?"

Sarada blinked. "Right after your workout?"

Metal held a thumb up. "I get sorbet!"

Sarada smiled. She supposed it wouldn't hurt. "Yeah, I'd really like that."

Boruto was in the classroom leaning against the window pane watching Sarada and Metal walk through the sunset-lit field. They went towards the parking lot, and she got inside his car.

He turned back to the paperwork without a word.


	13. XIII: Sweetheart

Weeks had gone by without Boruto and Sarada uttering a single personalized word to each other. But, day by day she still consciously wore his necklace, and Boruto was always sure to check every time they passed each other in the hall. It always felt as if time was halted in that moment, just the two of them passing by as strangers once more, though the ruby on her neck said differently. There was history. There were feelings.

Boruto hated knowing that he'd had everything in the palm of his hand. Trust, integrity, and Sarada herself, and didn't realize it until it was too late. He'd gotten too careless, too comfortable. And now that he for sure wanted her and wasn't afraid to be out and loud about it, she didn't want him back. And he was just chasing his tail in circles trying to figure out a solution to get back to where they were before.

He'd run away again. Because it was easier for Sarada to hate him. It was easier for them to be enemies so he didn't have to constantly be mirrored by his horrible actions. But now he was regretting it.

It was always so awkward when Sarada would stand up half an hour early and say her ride was there. It was an excuse. Boruto already knew she was going to the track, she didn't have to say any more. He was allowing her with no complaints because...well, he didn't quite know. Maybe because he had already put her through so much, letting her go watch Pasty Legs run five miles with his short shorts was the least he could do. And besides, he found himself actually paying more attention to his student council paperwork rather than giving Sarada the brunt of the stack.

So, in a way it was his way of paying back retribution for stressing her out this entire school year and everything else in between.

But, that didn't stop him from gazing out the window to watch. The track was barely adjacent to the school, so he could see Sarada always run up to the fence with an excited hop in her step, glad to be free from the constraints of Boruto, and clasp her fingers around the metal diamond fence. Metal would always finish his lap then meet her at the gate, they'd chat for a moment, and then he was right back on the track while Sarada settled on the bleachers tucked in her peacoat and scarf.

He did this to himself. Even as much as he wanted to blame Chocho or anyone else, there still had been truth in all the stories told. Sarada was right when she said it was simple. If he would've just walked away, Chocho would've said Sarada's name, and then what? She was an angel, her reputation was flawless, and her and Boruto had never been publicly involved like that. People would've pinned Chocho as the liar, both Boruto and Sarada safe from social destruction. Oh how he yearned to turn back time and choose to walk away in that moment. But the fact that he didn't proved he still cared what others thought.

Now, he didn't anymore. He was done letting others control his reputation, and more importantly, his relationship with others. All Sarada had asked of him was honestly, and to be his true self. And he was unable to do either of those.

All he could do from here on out was move forward. Show Sarada that he didn't care about others' opinions and truly live to be his full potential regardless of the constraints others tried to put on him. Show her that he _did_ care, and was ready to display it for everyone to see.

Whenever she was ready again, he'd be patiently waiting for her.

**XxX**

Of course, it was inevitable the two would be intertwined socially. Metal was friends with the boys. Sarada had been hanging around him and _only _him the past week. So of course, there they stood Monday morning bright and early in the circle with the entire group of friends on the opposite side of Boruto. He had a straight view of Sarada, and jeez, she looked so good today. And the necklace was still on. And Iwabee was on his bullshit, like always.

"You guys smash yet or what?" He took a large bite of his breakfast burrito. "I swear y'all are attached at the hip. Take some of that cardio from the track into the bed, eh?"

Everyone cackled, and Metal's face burned bright red. "N-N-No, it's not like that!" He turned to Sarada. "I'm so sorry, he doesn't mean it!"

Boruto rolled his eyes. Gross. He couldn't ever imagine having someone with a bowl cut on top of him and taking it seriously. Not a pretty sight.

"Oh Sarada, would you look at the time," Boruto looked at his imaginary watch, "time to go set up the classroom."

"Wha–huh?" Sarada was taken aback as Boruto grabbed her wrist and dragged her along. "Hey!"

"You'll see your Daddy Long Legged Lover later, we have stuff to do."

Sarada huffed. "Boruto, let go!"

They were already at home room, so he unclasped his grip. She brushed her skirt flat.

"What was that for? We still have five minutes."

"Oh, did I read the time wrong?" Again, Boruto held up his wrist that held no watch, and Sarada shoved him to the side. He laughed, and she resisted cracking a smile.

"You're so dumb. Guess we'll make the board look extra fancy today."

As Sarada readied the chalk, Boruto admired her. He missed her... but he didn't know what he could do in that moment to fix it. He hid behind jokes to make it all seem okay, but really it wasn't. He wanted her back fully. He wanted their after school boba dates, and randomly showing up at each other's houses at ten PM to drink tea and finish their homework.

Watching as she wrote on the board _welcome to class_, he began doodling on the corners. Sarada broke from her concentration to look at what he was doing, and she scowled.

"Dinosaurs? Seriously?"

Boruto grinned from his crouched position. "Hell yeah!"

Sarada rolled her eyes. "I don't know how Mr. Aburame will feel about that."

"It'll be fine." Boruto wiped his chalky hands together, "'cause look."

Slyly putting his hands on Sarada's hips, he moved her to the side. Her breath hitched in the back of her throat as she took a step to the left and Boruto slipped the piece of chalk from her hands.

"If you put some fancy calligraphy in here, he'll never notice."

Boruto drew swirls around the letters, making them look accented and cursive, while Sarada couldn't stop staring. He was deathly close to her face, one of his hands still on her hip, and she was _sure_ he could hear her heart thudding inside her chest.

Once Boruto was done with his art, he set the chalk down on the tray and met her gaze. Her deep brown eyes were twinkling anxiously, as if she expected him to make a move. Boruto let his eyes trail down her soft features slowly, until they landed on her lips. Sarada felt a chill run down her spine.

"Hey." He said.

"What?" Sarada asked breathlessly.

"You got something right there." Boruto tapped her nose. Quickly, she lifted a hand to brush it away, only to be met with remnants of chalk on her nose. Her mouth dropped open, and looking at Boruto's devious grin, he'd done that on purpose.

"_Boruto!"_

He cackled loudly and ducked away, dusting his hands together as he avoided her chalky revenge. "Looks like you got something there too." He glanced down at her skirt, and Sarada followed his gaze.

There, two distinct chalky handprints were sitting on her skirt right on her hip bones, and her face burned a bright red. It looked–it looked like–!

"Boruto Uzumaki I'm gonna _kill_ you!"

"Don't threaten me with a good time!" Boruto said as he dipped out of the classroom, his laughter echoing throughout the hallway.

Sarada groaned loudly and tugged her black sweater off, leaving her white dress shirt as her only top left. She quickly tied the sweater around her waist, and grumbled her way to the bathroom. That stupid horn dog, trying to seduce her like that! She couldn't stand him!

A damp wad of toilet paper was the solution, and luckily her skirt wasn't too wet by the time she was done. The handprints were so obvious against her dark colored skirt it left nothing for the imagination. And no one else touched the chalk boards except student council members, so that definitely narrowed down the options real quick.

Sarada shook her head. He obviously did that on purpose; he was like a disobedient child trying to get any sort of attention through bad behavior. They hadn't talked for weeks, and this was how he was trying to get them back to normal again. As much as Sarada wanted it, she just couldn't. Not after everything – it was too late. Boruto had made his decision repeatedly, and finally she had gotten tired of waiting around for him to correlate his words and his actions. She appreciated the sentiment trying to break the ice between them, but it wouldn't continue any further than that. She was moving on to different things now.

As she stepped in the stall to get more toilet paper, she heard pairs of shoes come clacking into the bathroom. She looked at her skirt; there were still some chalk marks, so she'd wait until they left.

"I can't believe your plan worked though, like that's crazy!"

Sarada halted. She knew that voice.

"Hmph. Yeah, she's a lot stupider than I thought. She has like no boy experience, so of course she's gonna believe her best friend of ten years over a guy she's hated her entire life."

That was Chocho...and one her friends. Sarada didn't know her name. She leaned against the stall in shock.

"Well, so what are you gonna do now? Are you going to try and get back with him?"

"No, I don't really want to anymore. He already dumped me, so I like someone else." Chocho said.

"Oh my God, _who_?!"

"I'm asking him to the Sweetheart's dance, so you'll find out there."

The bell rang, and Chocho and her friend scurried out of the bathroom. Sarada waited a longer moment before coming out of the stall. What had she just heard?

Barely making it to her seat on time, Sarada was greeted with a coy smile from Boruto a couple desks up. He then stood.

"Please greet Mr. Aburame."

"Good morning Mr. Aburame!"

The teacher walked through the door right as their voices rang together.

"Good morning class–" Mr. Aburame stopped in his tracks. Looking upon the… _creative_… chalkboard filled with dinosaurs playing volleyball, he looked to Boruto and Sarada. "It seems our student council reps had some extra time today."

Boruto gave a hardy thumbs up, meanwhile Sarada hid her face in her hands.

**XxX**

Boruto thought his cute chalk incident would lighten the mood of the student council today, but it almost seemed to do the opposite. Sarada arrived in the classroom with a stack of papers, plopped them on the desk, and began shuffling through them immediately. Boruto waited expectantly for at least a greeting of some sort.

"Um, hello?"

Nothing.

Boruto frowned. "Are you even going to say hi to me?"

Sarada's head whipped up. "Good evening. We have a lot of paperwork to read over, so no wasting any time." She handed him half the stack, then readjusted her glasses before diving back in.

Boruto was looking at her incredulously. Okayyy… so she didn't take the bait from earlier. That's fine, all good things came in time. He did suppose he was going out on a limb here even trying to maintain a friend basis again when they had been bumped back down to merely acquaintances. He just couldn't help it – when things were bad between them it didn't feel right.

Twirling his pencil in circles, he sucked on the inside of his cheek debating on what his next move should be.

"Alright, whatever you say, Miss President. At least you got your skirt clean."

Sarada made a face, but said nothing in response.

Joining her in their journey to read through all the paperwork, Boruto noticed the detention they had discussed months ago was finally going into effect next school year. They had taken a class survey, and a lot of people had agreed with what Sarada said. Make detention more of a buffer class to help them catch up, and once all their missing assignments or attendance was caught up they could resume after school activities.

Boruto sighed. She was so intelligent; always having a solution for everything. She was a great leader and didn't even realize it. When she was able to get over her tattle-tale tendencies and emotional outbursts, she really was incredible. Boruto admired that about her. No one really looked up to him respectfully, it was more out of fear. He was such a loudmouth clown that no one took what he said seriously unless he was reiterating Sarada's point, since she tended to shy away from being too direct when it came to a group of people. Luckily, Boruto didn't give a fuck when it came to public speaking, so their dynamic meshed well.

He smiled. They made a great team.

"What are you over there fantasizing about?" Sarada growled. Boruto shook from his stupor. He smirked.

"Oh, just thinking about how it I had gotten your skirt any dirtier you would've had to take it off."

Sarada gasped, her face turning bright red. She grabbed the chalk eraser and threw it at him. "Stupid, don't be saying those types of things during student council!"

Boruto cackled. He loved giving her a hard time.

"I'm kiddinggg, Jesus. Relax." He laughed. "I'm just proud of you, is all."

Sarada momentarily stopped her rampage, giving him a strange look.

"Proud...of me?"

Boruto crossed his legs. "Yeah, you know, for the detention policy. There were over thirty other ideas brought to the table, and they chose yours. So good job."

Sarada gazed at him for a long moment. She dipped her head down, her hands falling into her lap.

"Thanks, I guess."

Boruto shrugged.

They worked in silence, the only sound an occasional flip of a paper but other than that no words were spoken.

Finally, thirty minutes to five, Sarada glanced up at the clock. Boruto noticed, but pretended he didn't by continuing to read through the papers.

Sarada kept fidgeting, and now she was having a hard time focusing. Eventually, Boruto sighed.

"You know you can go, right?"

Sarada avoided his eyes. "I just didn't want to leave you with all the work."

Boruto shrugged. "Not like that ever mattered anyway. If you wanna go, go."

To be honest, he didn't want her to go. He wanted her to stay here with him. He'd been friends with Metal for a very long time, and sure, he was an incredible guy. A little socially awkward, smart, athletically inclined, but he wasn't Sarada's type. Hell, Boruto didn't even know if _he _was Sarada's type, but he just knew Metal wasn't. Metal wasn't a lot of things.

Sarada pursed her lips, relaxing into the back of the seat, then grabbed her shoulder bag.

"All right, well I expect you to put those on Mr. Aburame's desk when you're done."

Standing up, Sarada made her way to the doorway. Boruto sadly watched her go. Her frame was so petite, it was amazing how her confidence made her seem much broader in a room than she was. But in situations like this, by herself, she looked so small and fragile walking away from him.

Suddenly, Sarada stopped.

"I...don't want you getting the wrong idea about Metal and I." She said, placing her palm against the doorframe. "We're just friends, and I...he's just–good company."

Boruto lifted an eyebrow, flinging one arm over the back of his chair. "I wasn't going to say anything. You hang out with who you want. You do you, girly."

Sarada looked back, a pained expression in her eyes. "I just...never know what you're thinking. And with him I don't ever feel that way. Because–because with you, one day, you're telling jokes to make me laugh, you're teasing me, and spending all this time with me, but then the next you're walking away...when I laid the chance down right in front of you. You just _left_. And now I...I'm not gonna keep playing this game anymore. I have to be done with all this uncertainty because it's messing with my head."

Boruto looked to the floor. He stood up slowly, taking small steps until he was only centimeters away from Sarada. She wouldn't look him in the eye; she was keeping her gaze locked on the hallway tile in front of her.

"Is there anything I can do to change your mind?" Boruto asked, his voice weak.

After a long moment, Sarada clenched her fist. She shook her head.

"No."

Without waiting, Sarada took down the hall quickly, refusing to look back. The click of her shoes drew further and further away until they were no longer heard. Boruto stood dejected in the doorway, and let his head roll back.

This fucking sucked.

**XxX**

Valentine's Day was coming up soon, meaning it was the beloved Single's Awareness Day and the Sweethearts Dance they had been planning for. Boruto truly debated asking Sarada as one last desperate attempt to salvage what little acquaintanceship they had left, but knew she would reject him, so it was futile. She wasn't much into dances anyway, so a gesture of the sort would prove nothing to her. Things would be the same as they were yesterday.

So, he went solo much to the chagrin of every girl in the school.

Chocho, for some _goddamn_ reason – Boruto honestly didn't understand – ended up asking Mitsuki, and for some _psychotic_ reason he said yes. Whether it was for payback or to cause jealousy, he honestly didn't care. It was weird and annoying that his best friend was literally letting his worst nightmare trail behind them all night. Boruto couldn't even sip his nasty discounted supermarket punch in peace.

"This dance is so lame." Chocho said, scanning her gaze across the dance floor. Mitsuki kept his complacent expression like usual.

"Then leave."

Boruto rolled his eyes. The dynamic between the two was so weird. Where was Shikadai when he needed him? He adjusted the pinstripe lapels of his suit coat.

To make his night worse, Inojin and his little sister walked up to them, Himawari's eyes glowing.

"This place is so cool!"

"Well, you'll be stuck here soon enough, so don't get too excited about it." Chocho said. Boruto glared at her. What an incessantly unpleasant person.

"Big brother, come dance with me!" Himawari didn't even hear Chocho's offhand comment, which Boruto was grateful for, and was dragged against his will out to the dancefloor.

"Is Sarada here?" Himawari asked. Boruto sighed as he lazily swayed to the beat.

"Haven't seen her."

He spoke too soon. At that moment, Sarada walked in, arm clasped around Metal's, and Boruto rolled his eyes. Okay, so the two were a "thing" now; watching him run five miles every day after student council and walking to each other's classes and going to dances together, whatever. "Good company" is how Sarada had described him. Well, it seemed like a real boring time if you asked him. Metal wasn't much competition anyway.

Sarada looked beautiful as usual in the little black and teal dress, hair cascading in soft curls down her back, and Boruto wistfully wished he was the one her arm was wrapped around instead of Metal's.

"Oh wait, there she is! She looks so pretty!" Himawari exclaimed.

She dragged Boruto through the crowd to the couple that was descending down the steps. Oh God, Boruto's heart felt like it was going to explode, he hadn't had a real conversation with her _or _Metal since that night she walked out of student council and left him for Bushy Brows and sorbet.

"Sarada!" Himawari gave her a big hug. Sarada smiled, completely ignoring Boruto who was literally standing right next to her by keeping her gaze fixated on the younger sister.

"Himawari! You look so pretty, who are you here with?"

"Inojin!" She pointed to the boy who was standing next to Mitsuki, both watching Chocho bicker with some other girl about nothing.

Sarada said something Boruto didn't catch, but he caught her glancing at him. She could look at him all she wanted, he felt honored. Once she looked away, Boruto let his eyes roam this time. Trailing down from her eyes, slowly to her delicate lips, her chin, her neck, and...oh.

She took the necklace off.

"I need to use the lavatory." Metal had to shout above the music.

"Oh, I'll go with you!" Himawari offered cheerfully, and hooked her arm around his, leaving Boruto and Sarada alone. The lights flashed across their features, blinding when a light shone directly into their eyes. Sarada looked to her feet.

"You look nice." Boruto said, even though it felt like his soul was crushed. Everything inside him was crumbling to dust.

"You look nice, too." She replied, finally looking up at him. She wasn't wearing her glasses, probably as to not lose them. Boruto opened his mouth to speak, but could only let out a breath that sounded more broken than he liked.

"Walk with me?"

Sarada complied, and they headed for the entrance. The air was still cold, but not as teeth-gritting as the heart of winter had been. Sarada wrapped her arms around her body, and Boruto shrugged off his blazer and dumped it on her shoulders without thinking. She scowled, but said nothing.

They were silent for a while, looking up at the stars. They were just awakening from their slumber, only a few poking out from the night sky. Boruto exhaled, a hot cloud trailing from his nose. Sarada looked to him, then the sky.

"Pretty, isn't it?"

He looked at her. "Yeah."

She didn't catch his look. Finally, Boruto looked to the ground.

"So...you and Metal?"

Sarada had been expecting him to bring it up. She nodded. "Yeah, he's really sweet to me."

"That's good." Boruto nodded, but couldn't find it in himself to mean it. He sucked in a deep breath as the awkwardness between them settled in. "You guys...official?"

Sarada shook her head. "We just hang out. Nothing's going on between us."

"Have you guys...kissed?"

Sarada looked at him strangely. "Why is that any of your business?"

"I'm just curious." Boruto muttered. He wanted to know how deep into this Sarada was.

She was quiet for a long stretch of time.

"No, we haven't."

Okay good, Boruto's spirits were lifted the slightest bit. Even if she took the necklace off, he was still in the number one spot. It wasn't officially over until she kissed him.

"Well I'm happy for you." Boruto said, even if he really wasn't, he wanted to deep down believe he was. Sarada raised a brow.

"Are you really?"

He scoffed. _No_, he thought.

"Yes, I'm not heartless."

"I know that. I just wouldn't expect it from you."

He was almost offended, but shrugged it off. "You, uh...took the necklace off..."

She was quiet.

"Yeah."

Boruto felt sadness creeping up his back. He might as well ask, "Why?"

"It didn't match my dress."

He was not expecting that. Maybe more of a, _because I'm ready to take the next step with Metal_, or, _I'm completely over you_, but certainly not something as petty as that. "That's...it?"

"Yeah." She said sheepishly. "Red and teal don't go together!"

Boruto stared at her, then let out a sigh of disbelief. This girl. The feelings she made him feel. She drove him crazy wild and gave him weird warm bubbly feelings, but made him feel so many things he'd never felt before. It was like the different stages of a rollercoaster. The upwards excitement of something that was to come, then the slap of reality when the downward slope came and Boruto realized he had put himself in a position to lose her. It hadn't really hit him how much he enjoyed her presence until they were done for good.

Somehow from the distance, he had begun to realize how deep his feelings for her actually were, and now they were developing even stronger. After she walked out that day, he realized how selfish he was treating her like a secret. Sarada Uchiha wasn't meant to be a secret.

The thing that hurt the most was they had been _so_ close to something _so_ great...but it just fell short. Just barely. Bro code stated friends could not date anyone's exes, but since Boruto had never claimed Sarada, she was free game. Boruto wondered if he had spoken up during that Xbox Live chat if things would be different now. Metal wouldn't have even been an option. Sitting here, watching the girl he was falling for fall for someone else, wouldn't even be happening.

He put himself in this position. It was his fault.

"You're such a pain in the ass." He ran his shaky fingers through his hair. The amount of relief he was feeling right now was insane. Sarada laughed, and it was like music to his ears.

"Who are you here with?" She asked.

"No one." He replied with a shrug. "Came solo."

"Why? I bet there's hundreds of girls who wanted to go with you." She said.

There was something about that sentence that seemed so familiar. Ah, yes, it was that night they were sitting in his room after she had come over to thank him for the cookies. Sarada's jealousy had been blatantly obvious, and it had been cute. It showed she cared. And now, it seemed like that hadn't changed.

"Yeah, but I only wanted to go with one person." He stared directly into her dark irises that were illuminated by the dim street lights. Sarada took in a short breath.

"Boruto…" She said sadly, "I—Metal…he really likes me. And I like him."

"Obviously not a lot, since you haven't kissed him yet." He stated, resting his hands behind his head. It was his turn to be jealous. Sarada pursed her lips.

"That's–"

"Was I your first?" He asked. Sarada looked to the ground, her hands trembling.

"You know you were, dummy."

He said nothing, only huffed. He acted tough on the outside, but deep down, reassurance really was nice. It was an honor for him to be Sarada Uchiha's very first kiss. Even if it wasn't _his_ first kiss in his entire life, it was with Sarada, and that's what made it so special to him.

"Well I hope he treats you how you should be treated. How you deserve to be treated." Boruto said.

Throwing a hook out there might result in a catch, so he had to try. He had no idea where they stood, or if Sarada even had a Boruto tab still open in her files of possibilities, so he was pushing the limit more and more. Sarada looked at him sadly.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Honestly." Boruto said a little more aggressive than intended. He softened his tone. "You're gonna do what you're gonna do, don't let me stop you."

Sarada stood up. "I just, _feel_ like we had something, and now it's not there anymore."

"It's still there." Boruto's eyes glimmered underneath the streetlamp. "You just have to want it again."

Sarada slowly turned her head towards Boruto. He couldn't decipher what she was thinking, but somehow they were gravitating closer and closer until her face only inches from his. They stared at each other's lips.

"I want to kiss you." He said.

"You can." She whispered. Boruto smiled despite his aching heart. He heard an all too familiar voice approaching. He shook his head.

"No, I really can't."

"Sarada!" Metal's voice rang from the school entrance. Boruto immediately stood and stepped away from Sarada as he ran up to them. "You disappeared, I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Sorry," She said, but Boruto could tell she clearly didn't mean it. "Want to go dance?"

"Yeah!" Metal took ahold of her hand then looked at Boruto. His expression was unreadable as Sarada handed Boruto's blazer back, and they walked back into the school.

It was a few minutes before Boruto walked back in the school to rejoin the solo punch table squad. As he took a drink, he saw Mitsuki and Chocho over in the corner dancing, a few feet away were Himawari and Inojin, and Sumiere and some random guy Boruto didn't know the name of, then on the complete other side was Sarada and Metal. Her hands were draped over his shoulders while his hands were low on her waist, both smiling and chatting at a close distance. Boruto drank his punch indignantly.

He couldn't tear his eyes off the couple. Sarada said he could kiss her, but she also seemed to really be into Metal by the way she was smiling – she wouldn't look so thrilled if that wasn't the case. After spending so much excess time with her in student council, Boruto had a pretty good read on her at this point. Now _his_ feelings were confused. Obviously Sarada still wanted to give them a chance but was fighting everything possible to push her feelings away by drowning in Metal's presence. Who was the stubborn one now? Tch.

Boruto kept his eyes low and cup high to hide his expressions from people who passed by.

As the song slowed down, most couples came to a halt, but Sarada and Metal kept swaying back and forth before he leaned in and kissed her. Boruto's breath hitched in the back of his throat, punch spilling from the sides of his cup.

That was the end. They were over.

Sarada had been enjoying their dance, and was caught off guard when Metal kissed her. It wasn't soft and gentle like her kiss with Boruto had been, it was rushed and felt like a chicken peck with how tense Metal's lips had been. There wasn't a sweet afterglow, and the person smiling back at her when they pulled away definitely didn't have bright blue eyes.

The person that did, though, was at the punch table with a perfect view straight to them with a crushed expression on his face, and Sarada had never felt more terrible in her life.

"Wow," Metal said, a beaming smile across his face, "You're so wonderful!"

Sarada was so overwhelmed. Boruto had seen, and now she had really hurt him. After how hard she'd tried to pin her and Metal as just friends… there was no point anymore. Salvaging Boruto's feelings was useless. They were done for, and putting the necklace back on wouldn't fix this.

After the dance was over, once Metal dropped Sarada off, she headed straight to her room without a single word to her dad, who was still awake and working in his office. Sasuke glanced at the doorway as she passed by, and when she didn't greet him, he automatically knew something was up.

Sarada went and slumped on her bed, not bothering to get dressed down. Her eyes felt hot with tears. A knock was heard from the other side of her door moments later.

"Go away." She muttered. The door opened.

"That's hardly a way to speak to someone, let alone your own father." Sasuke chided, closing the door behind him then sitting on the edge of her bed. "How was the dance?"

Sarada sniffled. "It was horrible. I'm such a horrible person."

"What happened?"

She rolled onto her back, wiping her tearing eyes. "Metal kissed me."

Sasuke blinked. Metal who? Weren't her and Boruto just barely checking each other out at the Christmas dinner and making cookies together? His daughter was kissing boys now? Never mind all of that, was that a _bad_ thing?

Obviously, because his daughter was crying, and not the happy type of crying he usually saw when she got a good score on her test.

Should he do the fatherly thing and go have a talk with this "Metal"? Well, that didn't seem reasonable, if it was Metal Lee, Rock Lee's son, he was a good boy. So scratch that idea. Was he supposed to leave her alone? This wasn't his strong suit, usually Sakura took care of these situations. _Think_, Sasuke. What did girls need in this type of situation?

"Is that a bad thing?" He asked. Honestly, he was so lost. He may as well ask.

"Yes, I didn't _want_ to kiss him." She said. "And I told Boruto I wasn't going to kiss him but then he kissed me and he saw."

Sasuke was utterly confused. Boruto kissed who? Who saw what? "You'll have to tell me from the beginning so I understand."

Sarada sighed, scooting up her bed and leaned on her wall. Her feet almost touched the edge width of the bed. "Dad...I know Boruto isn't your favorite, but he's different around me. And, I still really like him."

His own daughter and Naruto's son was just so unexpected, even from the beginning. Unfortunately the mini Naruto was the human embodiment of the devil, but Sasuke supposed his first impression of Boruto's wasn't the best. Their latest interaction at the Christmas Eve dinner was about the only thing he's seen of him since, other than that he just went off of how his daughter reacted.

"So you like Boruto but you kissed Metal."

She shook her head. "No–well, I like Boruto, but he's broken my trust too much for anything to work out, so now it's done between us. Metal and I started hanging out recently, and _he_ kissed _me_ even though I didn't want to yet. I like him too, but he's just really weird and socially awkward."

Sasuke snorted. She was so blunt. It was obviously a trait that took after him.

"What is it about him that keeps you around, then?"

"He's always honest with me. I never feel like he's lying to me or not where he says he is. His reputation is gold, he's smart, athletic, a hard worker, people look up to him, and he makes me feel good. Like, he's so nice to me."

"So then what is it about Boruto you like?"

Sarada scowled, her face flushing against her will. "I-I don't know, he pisses me off! But he said I'm different, that it feels natural around me, and he's always treating me so differently compared to other people. Like he goes out of his way to make my day better. He remembers the little things I tell him, he's super thoughtful with the things he gets me, but with others he's so rude and cocky. But with me...he's just himself."

"Ah," Sasuke nodded his head, musing. Sarada looked at him curiously.

"What?"

"Sounds like your mother and I when we were younger." He said with a smirk.

"Whatever, you two are so old and ancient you don't get it!" Sarada said lightly. Sasuke pretended to be offended.

"We're in our mid-thirties."

"So? Things were different back then." She muttered. "It's just dumb. Why does Boruto act so fake around everyone else but me?"

"There's a connection you'll have with people throughout your life. People you can't hide things from, and you can't explain why but you feel like you could give your life for them." He said slowly. "I knew Sakura was the one when I couldn't hide my emotions from her. Naruto, too. He had a way of getting under my skin no one else could."

"Dad, was mom your first kiss?" She asked. It was a seemingly innocent question to connect parallels between her parents to her and Boruto, but Sasuke's face contorted as if he'd just seen something disgusting. Sarada blinked. "What?"

"No, she wasn't." He said begrudgingly. Sarada became more and more intrigued, and Sasuke wished she would drop it.

"Then who was it?"

He absolutely refused to answer. Sarada leaned closer, her lips curling into a smile.

"Wait, dad you have to tell me now!" She laughed. He avoided her look.

"Naruto." He said grimly. Sarada's mouth dropped.

"You're joking. No. Way."

"We were twelve." Sasuke said rather irked, folding his arms. "We were going to fight and someone shoved him into me. So I don't count it but Naruto sure does."

Sarada stared at him for a long, silent moment before bursting into laughter. Sasuke glowered at her.

"Oh my god!" Sarada couldn't stop laughing. "Does mom know? Does Boruto's mom know?!"

"Yes, everyone was there for it." He sighed. "Don't you dare tell your friends, I have a reputation to upkeep in this town."

She laughed and lightly pushed his arm. Sasuke smiled.

"Sarada, it doesn't matter who you date as long as they make you happy. Don't get so hung up on one boy for too long. They're pretty stupid at your age and don't have much to offer."

"Yeah, mom told me that, too." She said. "But you're right. Thanks dad."

She hugged him, which caught Sasuke off guard, but then he wrapped an arm around her to hug her back.


	14. XIV: Resignation

**XxX**

The next Monday at school, Sarada walked in with a fresh conscience, ready to face whatever trial came her way.

Yes, Metal and her kissed.

No, she didn't want to, but it happened anyway.

Yes, Boruto saw, and that crushed his soul. Hurting him was never something Sarada wanted to do, and she felt so guilty, but she couldn't change the past. What happened happened. All she could do was offer an explanation, but if he didn't accept it, then she had to move forward and focus on what was important: her grades and being the best student council member she could be.

"_Sarada!_" Chocho ran up to her, a posse of girls behind her Sarada vaguely knew. "Oh my god, you and Metal are together!"

This was news she hadn't heard. Sarada loved walking into school hearing things about herself she didn't even know. All the other girls squealed along with Chocho.

"Oh my god, you two are _so _cute together." The first girl said.

"Your anniversary is on Valentines Day too, that's so cute!" The second girl said.

"You _have_ to tell us everything." Chocho demanded, and Sarada held her hands up defensively.

"U-Um, no, we're not dating." She laughed nervously. "He just kissed me, that's it!"

"But you guys have been hanging out for forever, stop lying to yourself." Chocho threw her arms around Sarada's shoulders. "Besides, I _know _he's been dying to date you. He tells everyone."

"Really?" Sarada asked. The girls nodded in unison.

"He talks about it _all_ the time," Chocho continued. "And all your romantic ice cream dates after school, and you always watch him run the track after student council. That's so cute he was your _first_ kiss."

Sarada felt a wave of dread. He wasn't her first kiss, Boruto was! And it made her angry that Chocho seemed to know that and was provoking her. It was also weird Metal talked about her so often, too, since she never talked about him to anyone. It didn't coincide well..

"O-Oh. Yeah, he's really nice, I like spending time with him." Sarada said. Chocho scrutinized her closely, and her eyes trailed down to the ruby necklace.

"Did he give you that as a Valentine's present?"

Sarada's hand instinctively grabbed it defensively. Oh God, what was she supposed to say, the truth? Or lie and just go along with it? What would be the easiest, least drama-causing solution?

If she said no, Chocho would prod a name out of her until she was lying in her grave. If she said she got it from a friend or a family member, Chocho _still_ wouldn't believe it and pry the truth out of her one way or another, so that was futile. If she said Metal gave it to her, there was the possibility Boruto would hear through the grapevine and would be hurt.

But, Boruto completely understood how Chocho was. So Sarada would explain to him later her reasoning, so she went with option three.

"Yeah." She put on her best smile. "Isn't it pretty?"

"I love it!" One of the girls said. "He's so cute, can he be my boyfriend?"

Chocho sent her a glare then looked back to Sarada. "He's adorable, Sarada. And definitely more your type than Boruto."

The last part was said quiet enough that the other girls didn't catch it, but Sarada definitely heard the passive-aggressive jab. She thought they were over that already, that had been so long ago. She stared at Chocho wide-eyed, unable to come up with a response.

"U-Um, excuse me." She swiftly exited from the group.

She had to find Boruto immediately, and searched for him everywhere as she headed towards their home room. Putting this off any longer would only cause more problems for them. The thought of having to finally face him was making her anxiety shoot through the roof, but she had to find him and explain.

There, Boruto was already writing on the chalkboard, blazer placed on the back of his seat, white sleeve cuffs rolled to his elbows. Sarada's heart raced at the sight of him.

"Hey! I really need to talk to you." She said. She had to tell him about the situation with Metal and the necklace before he heard it anywhere else.

When Boruto hardly even glanced at her, she frowned. "Boruto?"

"What do you want?" He grumbled. Sarada approached him slowly.

"What's wrong?"

"None of your business."

Sadness washed over her. Reaching out slowly, her hands tremored. "Hey, don't be like that–"

"What do you want me to do, Sarada?" He whipped towards her and she flinched. "_You_ shut me out first. _You_ rejected _me_. You say _I'm_ the confusing one, when I was nothing but transparent with you and then you said I can kiss you, but then that same night you went and kissed Metal. I'm not stupid, I know when I'm being played."

Sarada was taken aback. "_What?_ Well what was _I_ supposed to think when you took the time to handpick me a necklace, deliver it, _kiss _me, then I found out the next day from Chocho you made out with everyone?! I'm not playing you, you're the one playing _me_!"

"That's different," He muttered. "And it wasn't true."

"How is it different? I don't understand why you're getting upset that he kissed me!"

"I _told_ you how I felt straight up. Then you said there was nothing between you two, you're just friends, you just enjoy his company. I know what I saw at the dance, and it didn't look like _just friends._" He snapped, rolling his sleeves back down to his wrists. "If you're gonna be with him then stop playing around with me. You can't have both of us."

"Are you joking?" Sarada followed hot on his heels as he retreated to his desk at the back of the classroom and flung on his blazer in one swift motion. "You don't know anything, you can't tell me who I'm allowed to have feelings for!"

"Oh yeah? Then who _do_ you have feelings for, Sarada, because it sure as hell can't be both of us."

"I–" She took a step back. She was unsure of what to say. Boruto stared at her expectantly, and she clutched onto his necklace. At the sight of it, his face softened to a very sullen, sad expression.

"You can't wear that expecting it to just magically fix everything. Either wear it and mean it, or take it off. Not just because it doesn't match your outfit."

Grabbing his satchel, he left the classroom. Sarada stood there defeated.

After a few moments, she remembered. Wait, she had gotten so caught up in the moment she didn't get to tell him about–

"Sarada?" Metal poked his head into the classroom moments later. "Hey! I have been looking for you!"

"H-Heyy..." She said, mustering the most convincing smile she could. He gave her a hug, and Sarada only felt cold against his body.

"I am sorry if I was too forward on Saturday, my intention was not to scare you away." He said.

The fact that he was openly apologizing in case he took it too far was a nice sentiment, Sarada at least appreciated it. But it still didn't help.

"It's okay." She said. It wasn't, though, because now everything had become a mess.

"Okay, I just wanted to make sure." He smiled.

It made Sarada feel tingly inside. Dwelling upon the moment they kissed made her heart thud. She was suddenly nervous around him; it was a different feeling. They stared at each other for a moment before he clasped her hand.

"See you at lunch?"

"Yeah." Sarada said quietly, her mind drifting. Metal leaned forward and kissed her cheek, and while it filled her stomach with butterflies, it just didn't feel the same. He never asked permission to kiss her, he had just done it. Meanwhile Boruto had...

No matter how hard Sarada looked for Boruto, he was avoiding her at all costs. It wasn't until she found Mitsuki and asked where he was, that Mitsuki responded Boruto had left for the day. The empty desk across the room during French class was like a haunting reminder that this was all her fault. Mr. Aburame excused her from her after school duties due to Boruto's absence, so she went home early.

Sarada was staring at her ceiling, long hair splayed in different directions, hand over the necklace, listening to her own heartbeat. The sound was so calming and soothing, she would fall asleep to it but her thoughts were keeping her awake. There was an antsy feeling in her chest that she couldn't shake off. Once it became unbearable, she hopped up and walked to her vanity desk, examining herself in the mirror.

The necklace looked so good on her, there wasn't a day since besides the dance that she'd taken it off. It kept her connected to Boruto. Though maybe what he said was true. It had meant to be a reminder of how he felt about her, she was special to him. He said so himself.

But now, it was only a game. For both of them.

By holding onto Boruto, it was interfering with progressing with Metal. As long as she wore the necklace, she was showing Boruto there was still a chance for them to work out. Sarada didn't know if she wanted that anymore – all the lies, distrust, fights, secrecy, and social reputations to deal with. Boruto had already taken up so much time in her thoughts, what was left for Metal, or anyone else? How much time had she wasted only catering to what Boruto wanted and needed? How much of herself did she let go of just to fit Boruto's idealisms? How much time had she spent in a haze after their fights pining things to go back to how they were before? Did she truly want to date Metal, or was it just because he was an easy love?

These questions plagued her mind. She scowled.

No, she wasn't superficial like that. Her feelings for Metal were real. She was overthinking everything and trying to push them down because of Boruto. Love wasn't meant to be difficult, it was supposed to be easy, and that's what Metal did. He was simple, straightforward, and never made her question herself or her feelings. He was driven, had goals, and did what _he_ wanted to do, not what others expected him to do.

If she took the necklace off, all of this would be done for good. She wouldn't have to worry about explaining to Boruto why she said the necklace was from Metal, no one would ask her about it, and it would metaphorically sever hers and Boruto's connection. She would take it off, and it would be over for her. Mentally, emotionally, physically.

With one swift decision, she took the necklace off and dumped it into her top drawer. It clattered against the wood, and she stared at it, her heart pounding. Truly, it was a magnificent ruby color. It held so much history, passion, and meaning. But she couldn't keep holding onto the past.

Logically, her and Boruto were walking down two separate paths. It wasn't worth all the stress and heartache to try and have either of them mold to the other. Sarada had to start focusing on the here and now and on _herself_.

She just hoped she wouldn't regret this.

Reaching for her cell phone, she quickly dialed a number and held it to her ear. It rang three times before it connected.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey, can I see you?"

**XxX**

Boruto was enjoying – or at least trying to – his morning back at school on Tuesday. He felt so drained yesterday he couldn't take all the rumors flying around. Was that how Sarada felt about New Years? He gave her mad props. She was mentally tougher than him and had hardly let it show it bothered her.

No one seemed to pay attention to how off Boruto was acting, or they just didn't care. Either way Boruto was grateful none of them were commenting on it.

They were all huddled around his locker, and Iwabee was rambling mindlessly about his Fortnite streak when he suddenly went silent.

Shikadai, Inojin, Denki, and Mitsuki's gazes all trailed to where he was looking, and instantly Boruto _knew_. He had a nervous, sinking feeling in his gut, and felt the wind being knocked from him. Mitsuki glanced at Boruto, then back at the main entrance to the hall. Boruto slowly turned his head.

Everyone's eyes were already on them. Sarada and Metal were there, hands interlaced together, talking in a way that only they seemed to smile about. Boruto literally felt like cold ice water had been dumped down his back, his feet were knocked from beneath him, his heart felt like it stopped. Time stopped. Everything around him went frozen.

The necklace was missing from her neck, too.

"They're dating now?" Iwabee leaned to Shikadai. He shrugged and took a sip of his coffee.

"Guess so."

"Damn, he caught and reeled her in _real_ fast!"

Boruto couldn't tear his gaze off the couple. They were walking past everyone like they didn't have a care in the world. Smiling, laughing, and holding hands.

Resentment. That was the only thing prevalent in the front of Boruto's mind, his fists were trembling with fury, his stomach was sunken with regret, and his heart was heavy with sorrow.

Sarada chose Metal. She fucking chose Metal. Metal fucking Lee. And there was nothing he could do about it.

There was no proof of history to show that they were a thing besides the necklace Sarada no longer bore on her decollete. Not even the short amount of time her and Metal had been a thing stopped them from being together.

When Boruto told her to pick, he hadn't really meant it in the way she'd taken it. He'd meant, _pick me, because I'm choosing you._ Yet Metal had still won.

"Oh my God! I can't believe they're actually dating now! They're _so_ cute." Chocho suddenly popped into the circle of friends. Iwabee and Shikadai were nudged to the side, and while Shikadai looked irritated, Iwabee was gaping over Chocho's body. Her three friends slowly caught up behind her. Boruto scoffed indignantly, adjusting the shoulder strap of his knapsack. He was going to leave.

Chocho noticed, and wiped away a fake tear. "Who would've thought my little Sarada would get a boyfriend before me? Shocking, I know." Her devious gaze flicked directly up to Boruto, who had already taken a step out of the circle. "Did you guys know Metal gave her a necklace when he asked her out?"

Boruto stopped dead in his tracks.

Mitsuki looked at her confused. The only necklace he knew of was the one Boruto gave Sarada.

"He did?" Mitsuki asked.

"Oh my God yes! It's a ruby pendant, literally gorgeous. She said he gave it to her that night to ask her to the dance as his girlfriend, then they kissed! Can you believe it?"

Oh.

So she was telling people Metal gave it to her, not Boruto.

Now even the necklace meant _nothing_.

His hands trembled. The chatter between the friend group had now picked up, asking questions and throwing around theories, but Boruto couldn't hear a single thing. Chocho smirked from behind him.

"Oh, Boruto, remember Mr. Aburame wanted to see you?" Without missing a beat, Mitsuki dragged Boruto down the opposite way of the hall.

Boruto felt himself propelling forward. He was in a complete haze. Was this real life? Would this be happening right now if he'd spoken up sooner? Why...

That should be him and Sarada making their appearance in the senior hall, hand in hand, smiling and talking in only a way _they_ understood each other. He should've been her first kiss, her first boyfriend, her first love, her first everything. But he wouldn't be. It was all sinking in now.

Mitsuki stopped once they were in a secluded part behind their school. The weather was warming up, but Boruto still felt cold. Never in his life had he ever felt like this before.

"Are you okay?" Mitsuki asked, his expression mirroring the mood for once.

Boruto didn't know. His mind told him to say yes, but his heart was clearly telling him no.

He fell against the brick wall. He didn't know what to think, he didn't know how to feel, he didn't know what to say. How embarrassing that he felt so strongly towards someone when deep in his mind he knew the whole time it would result in this outcome. He got played. Big time. He was an idiot to think things would end up differently, just because Sarada was a sweet, genuine girl. That didn't mean shit. Boruto Uzumaki did not have happy endings.

He was supposed to be tough, expressionless, indifferent, unreadable. His walls were built high, so how did Sarada break them down so quickly?

Boruto sank to the ground in deafening silence. Mitsuki sat next to him and said nothing. They missed homeroom and their first class, but Mitsuki didn't mind.

**XxX**

Admiring the pretty blood red sunset was all in vain. It didn't calm or seemingly help Sarada's nerves at all walking down the long stretch of hallway. The red and orange shadows cast across her worn-down Mary Jane's as they clicked against the tile softly. Her peers were outside running track, playing baseball, lacrosse, or simply just enjoying the sunset. How lucky to be them, blissfully unaware of what was about to transpire.

She knew what she did. And now she was about to come face to face with the consequence.

Slowly, she slid open the door to homeroom. There, Boruto sat slumped over in his seat, his hands laced tightly through his disheveled hair. She stood in the doorway, unable to move forward.

Eventually, Boruto turned his head, revealing his deep, angry expression and bloodshot eyes. Sarada matched his look with the same amount of intensity.

"I'm surprised you're here." Sarada said.

Boruto narrowed his eyes, "I could say the same." He stood up, his chair squeaking against the old flooring. "Metal gave the necklace to you when he asked you out, _really?_"

"I tried to explain everything to you yesterday morning, but you walked out on me again. So I'm not taking the fault for this one. You always run away when things don't go your way!"

Sarada took a couple steps forward and set her bag on the desk, sitting in the chair adjacent to Boruto. She kept her mind focused on taking her supplies out while Boruto only glared at her. Their interlocked gazes were fiery and angry. Boruto stood up and threw his bag over his shoulder. Sarada whipped around.

"What, you have nothing to say?"

Boruto snorted. "No, actually, I don't."

Sarada rolled her eyes and threw her hands out. "See, you're just gonna avoid it and run away again like every other time! You never change!"

Boruto turned around. "Seriously? _I'm _the one hurting here! Remember how you said you were done with all this _uncertainty _because it was confusing you? Well, I told you _my_ feelings, I gave you the benefit of the doubt, and you went and played the shit out of me. You don't know what you want, and you're just dragging me through the mud while you try to figure it out. That's _heartless_."

Sarada's whole body trembled with anxiety. He...really felt that way? She never meant for this to happen, she didn't think he felt so riled up and angry about it. She wanted to cry, she wanted to run away, but she also wanted to sit here and hug him and not let go until everything that had gone wrong the last few months was fixed. She just wanted their normal back.

She...regretted her decision.

"I-I...I didn't mean to–"

"It doesn't matter if you meant to or not, you just did." Boruto snapped, his voice breaking. "We're never on the same page. And I'm tired of dealing with it, Sarada, and I can't do it anymore. So I'm done."

"Done? Done with what?" Sarada whispered, but Boruto quickly left the classroom. "H-Hey! Wait, Boruto!"

He was already in the hallway when Sarada dashed after him. The sound of hasty clicks of the soles gradually grew closer as she threw herself onto him, grasping his elbow desperately. He tried to yank from her grip to continue forward with determination, but she only held on tighter. She couldn't let him go. If she could go back in time, she would change her decision. She didn't want things to end like this!

"I'm _sorry_! I told you I was sorry! I tried to tell you about the necklace before someone else told you. I _know _you gave it to me, but Chocho would've started rumors if I had said that!"

Boruto stopped fighting against her. "Oh, so now _I'm_ supposed to forgive you for the _same _thing you got mad at me over? Being afraid of _Chocho_ starting rumors? I don't give a fuck about the necklace anymore, throw it away for all I care."

Stunned, Sarada's grasp loosened, and he continued down the hall, and Sarada yelled at him to stop. It was a long three flights of stairs with Sarada begging him to stop so they could talk, but finally, they arrived at the teacher's lounge. Boruto slid open the door and marched right up to Mr. Aburame's desk.

"Mr. Aburame, I would like to be permanently removed from the student council position."

Mr. Aburame blinked, readjusting his glasses, and set his pencil down slowly. Swiveling his chair to the side, he took a moment to assess the current situation.

Here, Boruto and Sarada stood in front of him. The two teenagers were obviously frazzled, and it was very like Boruto to make hasty decisions, so he didn't think anything of it, but the fact Sarada looked so distraught and there were tears in her eyes made him question what was going on. These two had discourse earlier in the year, then had started to get along, but now it looked like they were fighting again.

And this time, it was way more intense than before.

Folding his arms, he cleared his throat and folded his arms.

"May I ask why, Boruto?"

Boruto's face contorted from the many emotions running through his mind. "I just can't stand it. I want to resign."

Sarada kept wiping her tears, and it looked so badly like she wanted to speak up, but since they were in the teachers lounge, all the other teachers and professors were finishing up the last of their work before they went home, so it was a quiet atmosphere that would be very easy to cause a ruckus in. Mr. Aburame pursed his lips.

"Walk with me."

The two students followed him out into the hall, and he waited until they were in the stairwell to stop and face them.

"Now, please explain."

"Boruto is just upset with me because he misunderstood something I said!" Sarada harped. Boruto glared at her.

"Why do you always have to butt in? He asked me, not you."

"Then separate your emotions from work and realize you can be mad at me but don't take it out on the student council!"

"Separate emotions from work? You're the one leaving student council early to go watch someone run around a field."

"Me?!" Sarada exclaimed. She suddenly was angry with all traces of tears gone now. "I've never missed a day of school in my life! Or cheated on a test, or gotten put on probation, or skipped class, and I've picked up all the work from your slacking, you think I'm the problem? I'm always sticking up for you and getting myself in trouble! I ruined my reputation for _you_!"

Boruto turned away from her.

Sarada clenched her fists. "You—"

"That's enough." Mr. Aburame interjected. "Sarada, Boruto, we are going to communicate like adults. You'll never get anywhere speaking to each other the way you are." Sarada and Boruto glared at each other. "Boruto, why do you _really _want to resign?"

Boruto's eyes quivered as he looked at Sarada. After a beat, he said, "I'm just done."

Mr. Aburame let out a slow breath. "And Sarada, do you want him to resign?"

Sarada looked away indignantly, and she started crying again. No, she didn't, she had tried to explain, but he wasn't accepting her apology. At this point, as heartbroken and angry as she was, it might be most beneficial if he did. All he did was distract her and hold her back.

"I don't care. He can do whatever he wants."

Mr. Aburame observed his two students.

Boruto Uzumaki, son of Naruto and Hinata, both former classmates and childhood friends of his. Quite popular with the student body, a loudmouth, got decent grades, but citizenship markings were low. He had improved since being on the student council since he had been given more responsibility and had stepped up to the task swimmingly. Confidence came naturally. A leader, fiery, opinionated, but easily distracted, got in over his head a lot, and was swayed by peer pressure.

Sarada Uchiha, daughter of Sasuke and Sakura, also former classmates and childhood friends of his. Very intellectual and book smart. Seemed to have a small consistent group of friends, but was very bright, bubbly, and had brilliant ideas. The execution of those ideas sometimes fell short due to lack of confidence in leadership skills. A girl with her head on straight that didn't listen to the opinions of those around her and walked in her own path. Phenomenal grades and attendance, but could be very stubborn and was convinced her way was the right way.

Sarada and Boruto together made an incredible team. They made up in the areas the other lacked. When they harmonized together they had created a perfect setting, both inside and outside of their homeroom class. They both made a powerful impact no matter where they went, together or separated.

But as Mr. Aburame had observed their interactions throughout the school year, it seemed as if the two were constantly vying for the other's acceptance. And when one of them did something out of the expectations the other had already planted in their mind, it caused them to fight. They were so blindly infatuated with each other just hoping to impress and they didn't even realize it.

Mr. Aburame had known most of his students in passing growing up, since it was a relatively small section of town. So having known these two in particular, knowing their background, their parents, and their environment, it wasn't a stretch to say they were both spoiled, stubborn, and both always wanting things to go _their_ way. They constantly pushed each other out of their comfort zone but could also push the completely wrong buttons. He vaguely wondered if their relationship would always be hot and cold, or they could settle somewhere in the middle. It would take a lot of humble maturity for them to acquire that, but it wasn't an impossible feat.

After a long silence, Mr. Aburame nodded, all points considered and compartmentalized.

"If that is what you truly want, Boruto, I will take it up with headmaster Tsunade and we will discuss our options. But just know, this is a permanent decision and you will be excluded from running for student council the rest of your years here. This has to be a decision you're making because you simply are unhappy, not because you and Sarada are not getting along."

Boruto looked to the floor, his thoughts running in every different direction.

"There is always a solution to a problem. Give it a week to think about it. Talk it over with yourself and each other, and give me an answer next Monday." Mr. Aburame said, then turned on his heels. He stopped when he had another thought pop to mind.

"Oh, also, I should remind you two that you are examples for our homeroom class and our student body. You are in a leadership position, and the people you'd least expect are watching you." He looked over his shoulder. He smiled. "Just remember that."

Mr. Aburame left without another word, leaving Sarada and Boruto alone.

There was a long, deafening stretch of silence that was only broken when Boruto heard Sarada's muffled sniffles.

"Do you ever stop crying?" He muttered.

"I...I'm sorry. I don't know how many times I have to tell you that!" Sarada looked at him through her teary, glassy eyes. "I–I don't want you to leave the student council."

Boruto looked up at the ceiling. Well, he didn't necessarily want to either, but the picture of Sarada and Metal walking in the school hand-in-hand was engraved in his memory. It made his body run cold. He was angry. _So_ incredibly angry. He couldn't handle seeing those two together. And whether Sarada strung him along intentionally or not, it still hurt. Very bad. Metal was the root of all their disagreements and issues. As long as Metal was currently in the picture, Boruto couldn't be. And wouldn't.

With a sigh, Boruto closed his eyes. He didn't want to yell or fight anymore. Raising his voice, being angry, and arguing would do nothing to change Sarada's decision. All the hope inside him had finally been broken enough that it was shattered. He was so tired of yelling. So tired of fighting. He had officially given up.

"Let's just go back and get some work done."

With that, Boruto stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked. Sarada slowly shuffled after him, and they got through some paperwork before they went home.

As Boruto got into his car, he watched from the parking lot as Sarada climbed into Itachi's Mercedes from the front entrance. She cast him one look before getting inside and shutting the door.

**XxX**


	15. XV: Regret

**A/N: **Hello everyone! *hearts* I just want to give a special thanks to hoe enabler, SnakesSolidButt, Lightning Scarlet, chica-flick, SG, Sophia, Mano.o.o.o. on , BorutoDiscusser, borutodiscusserdebater, Saltyapples25, and all the guests who reviewed! And thank you to b0ba, jizkobe, BlueMarvel616, nishaganesh16, love . ebear, Bilal Almohammad Alfihan, and Lau31 for favoriting recently! And of course everyone else who is just reading to enjoy, shoutout to you guys too! It really does mean a lot to me to have so many of you supporting! (:

Also, there have been a couple of you ask when the "juicy" scenes are coming up, and honestly it won't be for a while. We're still in part one of the story, and things will start getting more intense in part two, that's when I will change the rating to M. That's not to say small things won't happen here and there, but it's more important to focus on the foundation of their developing relationships in the beginning rather than jumping straight into it. If there is any content in a chapter that I see may be concerning for a younger audience, I will always put a warning at the beginning of the chapter. I want this story to stay as true to how I wrote it and to simultaneously make it as comfortable as possible for you all to enjoy it!

Aside from that, most all of you hate Metal and Sarada together HAHA! It cracks me up. But, y'know, ~character development~. And as I promised in the authors note in chapter one, BoruSara will always prevail! So don't you worry!

I love and appreciate you all, so here is the new chapter!

* * *

Boruto had grown significantly distant from Sarada. Every day that came closer to Boruto's final answer, Sarada increasingly had more anxiety. She had no idea what he was thinking ever since he'd shut down completely from her. No words, no jokes, nothing. They were straight business, and that was it. Nothing more, nothing less.

Finally, after a grueling week of anxiety and uncertainty, Sarada was face to face with Headmaster Tsunade, Mr. Aburame, and Boruto. Tsunade had her fingers interlocked, her eyes closed just awaiting the bullshit that was to come, and her bright pink lipstick freshly applied. Sarada clasped her hands in front of her stomach and tried to even out her breathing.

"So Boruto, I hear there have been some problems in the student council and you would like to resign. So let's get right to it." She looked Boruto straight on. "You've had a week to think about it and seriously consider your request. If you do decide to resign, you will no longer be eligible to be a part of the student council in upcoming years, and will have to be put on probation until further notice. I'm sure Mr. Aburame informed you of this."

Boruto nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"If you decide to retract your resignation, some changes will need to happen. We cannot have two of our student representatives at each other's throats. As leaders, you are supposed to inspire, create harmony, and guide your peers. You were voted into this position by your very own homeroom, accepted through all the teacher's in this school, and both have since shown a significant impact."

Boruto nodded.

"So, with that being said," Tsunade leaned back in her chair. "What is your answer, Boruto Uzumaki?"

Sarada held back her tears. She already knew Boruto was going to say he wanted to resign. After the whole last week of barely speaking to or glancing in her direction there was no way he would stay in it. Especially now that her and Metal were together, and everything was a whole mess…

The clock arms bounced loudly from the wall, each second feeling like a new crack in Sarada's heart. She was just waiting for him to speak with each tick.

With a deep breath, Boruto spoke.

"I'll stay."

Sarada whipped her head over to him. He was still looking at Headmaster Tsunade straight in the eyes, concrete and serious in his answer. Tears started to well in her eyes.

Headmaster Tsunade leaned forward. She closed her eyes.

"All right. If that's the case, we will drop your retraction. From here on forward, though, if any more problems between you and Miss Uchiha arise, we will have to permanently separate you two. Be cordial or there will be severe consequences."

Sarada looked back at the headmaster, and her and Boruto nodded simultaneously. "Understood."

"Wonderful. Now have Mr. Aburame write you a late slip and get to class. We will discuss our student council changes later, I need some lunch." Headmaster Tsunade stood from her chair and stretched, while Mr. Aburame readied a late slip for his two students.

Once they were released from the office, Boruto took off without a word. Sarada ran after him and grabbed the sleeve of his blazer, stopping him in his tracks. He didn't look at her. Her breathless words barely escaped in a coherent sentence.

"You–You stayed? Y-You're not leaving anymore, why?"

Boruto stared at the ground. "Too much of a hassle. I made a big deal outta nothing." He turned his head and mustered a fake smile. "Now you're happy, I'm happy."

Sarada furrowed her eyebrows. "B-But, what about–"

"Whatever you're going to say doesn't matter." Boruto interjected. "You and I have a role to fulfil. We're examples to our classmates. We have a job to do, and that's it." He pulled his sleeve from Sarada's grip. "We are the representatives for our homeroom. We're just business partners now."

"Business partners…" Sarada repeated. It didn't sound right rolling off her tongue. They weren't even friends? Acquaintances? _Just_ business partners?

Boruto nodded. "That's it. I gotta get to class."

He left, leaving Sarada alone in the senior hall.

The regret she felt was overwhelming. There was no salvaging their relationship this time. Taking the necklace off and impulsively choosing Metal was the worst thing she could've done. He didn't even _compare_ to Boruto, her feelings for Metal were nowhere near as strong. She was kidding herself thinking choosing an easy love was the right way to go.

For once, following her logic had seemed to backfire. Not _once_ had her carefully crafted thoughts failed her… until now. She wanted Boruto, not Metal, but it was too late. She had made a decision, she had to stick with it.

But then again, she was so conflicted. Dealing with Boruto's lies and two-faced tendencies was what pushed her away in the first place. When Boruto had come to her telling her he'd be better, she didn't believe him, thus was driven towards Metal. But had it ultimately been the right decision?

She didn't know what she wanted. But all she could do now was deal with the consequences of her decision.

**XxX**

Causing a ruckus was the last thing Boruto and Sarada wanted to do. They were both master at acting in their own right. Sarada was notorious for keeping to herself, and Boruto put his usual loud act on, so no one at the school knew there was even a problem.

Because Boruto had chosen to remain in the student council, some changes had been implemented. There was now a choice to opt out for the new semester that started the second week of January, students had to campaign for a full week and earn the majority of a vote to be considered for the position, and meetings were now permanently rearranged. It would've been smart to have in the first place, but they had never had problems with two student council members like this before, so never had to enforce strict rules.

Well, Sarada and Boruto definitely made an impact everywhere they went, that was for sure.

From now on, Monday's and Tuesday's were no longer simple classroom meetings. Everyone got together every day, with Headmaster Tsunade joining them on Friday's, which made Boruto and Sarada able to remain physically distant from each other.

Outside of general expected interactions in the after school meetings, they no longer spoke. And surprisingly, it hadn't caught anyone's attention either. Except Mitsuki, and when he asked Boruto about it, he didn't want to talk about it. It salvaged a lot of strained, awkward tension.

Sarada, on the other hand; was keeping herself booked and busy to keep her mind off of the emotional roller coaster that was now her life. She was getting behind on homework, the student council work just seemed never ending, and it always seemed like Metal was always wanting to hang out at the most inconvenient times. He got offended when she declined his offers, so tried to start doing her homework at his house, but he always wanted her paying attention to him, so she never got any work done.

Everything was just stressful, dark, and gloomy lately.

It was a Monday morning mid-March when Sarada went to school a little earlier. She had almost been tardy a couple times last week due to waking up late. The weather was becoming sunny again as opposed to the usual chilled cloudy days, so she was able to start walking to school again. The sun was peeking from the horizon, but still had not risen. She pulled her jacket closer to her body and blew out a deep breath.

Her uncle Itachi usually took her to and from school since it lined up perfectly with his work schedule, but lately Sakura had been giving her a ride there, then she had been going to Metal's house after their school activities, then he would take her home. Sarada hadn't seen her uncle in a while and missed him, so she wanted a break for once and was going to go to his house tonight to relax and play with his dogs.

Arriving at the school, it was very quiet in the hallways. Teachers were barely arriving themselves for the faculty meeting, and Sarada made her way to the homeroom. She set up the board, cleaned the chalk erasers an extra time before she sat down to focus on her homework.

Math was a real killer. She didn't understand this current chapter they were in, and it was the only class bringing down her GPA. Metal wasn't too studious himself, so he never wanted to help Sarada study. He just did his work without putting much thought into it, and always got a decent grade.

She'd sit on his bed for hours looking up tutorials how to solve the equation or googling solutions or even asking Metal himself, but he never complied. He was too busy watching movies, playing his games, or doing at home workouts to want to sit down and help her, but when he was done with his activities, Sarada had to give all her attention to him. It was getting tiring having to deal with the one-sided standards. Sarada couldn't do homework because then she was "ignoring" him, but he was allowed to do whatever _he_ wanted?

Tapping the pencil mercilessly against her desk, she aggressively flipped to the back of the book to try and find some type of explanation to this equation. She absolutely hated this.

It was completely futile. She had been sitting there for thirty minutes already reading the instructions over and over again. Students were now starting to file through the hallways, and she was about to lose her mind. This assignment was due today in third period and she had no freaking idea what to do!

Giving up, she laid her head on her textbook. This sucked. She hated math. _So_ much.

An all too familiar laugh echoed down the hallway, and Sarada froze. It wasn't long before Boruto bid his friends goodbye and slid open the door, only to reveal the chalkboard already set up and Sarada pouting in her desk. He blinked, quite taken aback at the scene. Mitsuki peeked over his shoulder, then quickly left. Stiffly, Boruto slid the door shut behind him.

"You set up already?" He asked.

"Yes." Sarada grumbled. Boruto took a couple steps forward, glancing between the board and Sarada. He was being awkward.

"What time did you get here?"

"Seven."

Boruto raised a brow, surprised, then realized she was laying on top of her textbook. "What are you doing?"

Sarada lifted her head slowly. "I haven't been able to figure out this math problem all weekend, and we were assigned it on Thursday."

Boruto stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked forward. He brought the textbook closer to him. Polynomial and Rational functions.

"I still don't get why you're in precalculus. Usually seniors take that class." He said.

Sarada rubbed her eyes. "My counselor thought it'd be a good idea to push me higher up in math so I can get early college credits starting next year. She wants me to take all AP classes next year."

Boruto sucked in a cheek and flipped back a few pages. Damn, he was pretty good at math and even he didn't understand what was going on. He was in Algebra Two, one step above where sophomores should be, and here Miss Uchiha was in fucking precalculus when she couldn't even calculate how many toes she had on her own feet.

"Damn. That sucks."

Sarada shrugged, not expecting much else from him. She was heartbroken that she'd have to turn in this assignment late and get a bad score. It was going to bring her GPA down significantly if her B+ bumped down to a C. She let out a big sigh.

"It's fine. I'll just do extra credit later."

Boruto watched as Sarada unwillingly reread the chapter introductory over and over, squiggling on her scratch paper.

Looking to the chalkboard, then to Sarada, he restrapped his knapsack and exited the classroom. Sarada didn't know where in the world he'd go since there was five minutes until the bell rang for class, but she put away her textbook for now and ran her hands through her hair. Everything was way too stressful. She never had any time for herself.

Metal's head popped through the doorway, and he beamed. "There you are! I couldn't find you at your locker, but I ran into Boruto and he told me you were in here."

Sarada almost choked. "Y-Yep, just been trying to get some homework done!"

"Wow, that's last minute for you." Metal leaned over her desk to look at her textbook. "Precalculus? Didn't you finish that on Friday?"

"No…" Sarada trailed off. She had _tried_, but Metal was blasting music on his video game and it kept distracting her, then he had wanted to watch a movie after. She was feeling annoyed.

Metal hummed. "I just do my homework in class, that way I never have to take it home!"

He also was in the general sophomore classes that everyone their age was in, and ran track. His responsibilities were nothing compared to Sarada with honors classes, senior classes, student council, _and _her emotions. Sarada forced a laugh.

"Y-Yeah, maybe I'll try that."

Metal stared at Sarada with bright eyes, blinking every once in a while. When he gave her that look, she knew what it meant. He wanted a kiss. Students were starting to come into the classroom now, though, so they couldn't here. And besides, Sarada was feeling smothered.

"Later?" Sarada asked, though the genuinity didn't shine through her tone. She was not a public display of affection type of person. She didn't want other people in her business.

Metal nodded in response, and Boruto came through seconds later, shoulders hunched over with his hands in his pockets, and barely spared a glance at Sarada. The conflicting feelings inside Sarada were becoming too much. She hated being with Metal when Boruto was around, it made her feel so weird. She wanted to disappear.

Once the final bell rang and all the students took to their seats, a few beats later Mr. Aburame came through the door.

"Please stand," Boruto said. Everyone did as he said, as Mr. Aburame set his books on his desk.

"Good morning class. I don't have any inspiring speeches or exciting news for you today, so go ahead and work on whatever you need. I will be on the phone so please keep the volume low."

Most everyone pulled out homework they had waited to finish last minute, and Sarada re-opened her textbook and was filled with dread.

No other sophomore was in precalculus, and she hardly knew any seniors. So the odds anyone in here could help her was very low. She grumbled and picked up her pencil again. If only she had a tutor...her uncle Itachi probably would be so good at this…ugh.

Boruto glanced back at her, then turned back to talk to Shikadai.

Her next two classes went by smoothly, but during lunch Sarada was too distracted to focus on eating. Sumiere looked at her friend with concern.

"Sarada, aren't you going to eat anything?"

Wasabi and Namida took notice, and looked at Sarada's plate. Most everything was untouched.

"Oh! Yeah, Sarada, are you feeling okay?" Namida asked.

"I'm fine, I'm just not looking forward to math." She said. "I didn't finish my math assignment and I have no idea who can help me."

"Oh," All the girls whispered collectively. Sumiere frowned.

"You're in precalculus, right? Have you tried asking any of the seniors in your class?" She asked.

Sarada narrowed her eyes. "None of them talk to me in class anyway, there's no way they'd help me. I'm just the smarty-pants sophomore according to them."

"What about the teacher? Did you go and check to see if she would help you?"

"We're not allowed to go see our teachers during lunch, remember?" Wasabi said. "Only before and after school."

"Yeah, and she wasn't there this morning." Sarada said. She let out an aggravated sigh. "Ahh, I hate this!"

"Just ask her if you can turn it in late, or do extra credit. You'll be okay!" Namida said cheerfully. "Now eat something! You need energy."

"Oh, Namida, have you registered for summer volleyball yet?"

"What? It's registration already?"

"Yes!"

"Ahh, no I haven't!"

Sarada laughed. She was grateful for her friends. Even though there was nothing she could do right now, they were still encouraging and positive. Slowly, she took a bite of her rice, and decided five minutes before class she'd stop by to ask the teacher if she could turn it in on Wednesday.

Sarada said bye to her friends, threw her lunch away, and grabbed her textbook before dragging her feet to her math class. It was less than ten minutes before the class started, so she was sure her teacher could offer either a mini explanation on how to solve the equations or tell her straight up she was doomed to have a C. Sarada let out a defeated sigh.

And, like she expected, her teacher told her no. She could not get an extension on the due date and if she turned it in late it would automatically be a fifty percent deduction, but if she came in after school she could help out, but Sarada couldn't because of student council unless she got an excuse from Mr. Aburame.

It was more trouble than it was worth; and Sarada was so frustrated. But, fifty perfect plus any other problem she got right was better than the three horrid answers she had on her paper and nothing else. She'd just have her uncle help her with it tonight.

Sinking into her desk, she laced her hands through her hair. Her extensions were hurting her head. Her skirt felt too tight, her legs were cold, her blazer was itching, and she just felt uncomfortable. She wanted to go home.

Once the final bell for the day rang, Sarada was at her locker when Metal came up behind her quietly and surprised her by grabbing her waist. Sarada squeaked in shock and laughed when she realized it was him.

"You scared me!"

"That's what I was going for!" He beamed. "Are you coming over today?"

"Ahhh…" Sarada faltered. Looking at his gleaming expression, she knew if she said no it'd hurt his feelings, but she just really needed a night for herself. She had been so annoyed by him lately, but felt guilty knowing she would disappoint him. "I-I thought I told you I was going to my uncle's tonight!"

Metal had a blank expression, though a smile was still on his face. "You did?"

"Y-Yeah!"

She didn't, but details.

"Oh," Metal let go of her, his brows dancing in confusion trying to process what she said, and the smile from his face slowly fell. "I don't remember you telling me that."

Sarada laughed nervously. "Oh my gosh, I totally probably forgot to tell you, but he'll be here any minute to pick me up!"

"O-Oh, well, okay, I guess." Metal said, his eyes dodging her gaze. "I'll see you later then."

He walked off, and Sarada was somewhat glad he didn't fight it, but also knew he wasn't happy. She sighed and leaned against her locker. Lies lies lies. That's all she was becoming now was a big fat liar. And to her own _boyfriend _of all people. Why didn't she feel comfortable just telling Metal she didn't want to hang out?

Itachi picked her up from school that night, and instead of going straight to his house, he took her out to their diner first. Sarada's mind was heavy with thoughts, but Itachi didn't seem to want to prod her, for he turned on some music and let it play gently in the background.

They sat in the diner and ordered their usual ice cream with a side of curly fries. Boruto had mentioned the curly fries long ago when he and Sarada had gone out for boba, so now she was going to try them, she exclaimed her excitement as Itachi smiled weakly.

"You seem to be doing well, Sarada."

Sarada paused. "I guess."

Itachi interlaced his fingers. "What do you mean?"

Sarada relaxed into the booth then looked out the window. Thinking back on the past couple months, this was the first real moment she felt she was able to relax. And with that, it was finally settling in that honestly… she wasn't happy.

"I dunno. I guess I just really don't know what I'm doing anymore."

Itachi nodded slowly and his eyes followed the waiter that passed by. "I see. Why is that?"

"Well, I don't know," Sarada said as the ice cream was placed in front of them. She grabbed her spoon. "Ever since Metal and I started dating everything just feels confusing. I chose him over Boruto thinking it was going to be easy…" She trailed off, not really knowing quite where her train of thought wanted to go.

Itachi let out an amused sigh as Sarada began eating the ice cream. He looked out the window.

"So what happened with you two?"

"Who, me and Boruto or me and Metal?"

"You and Boruto."

Sarada made a face. "We just kept fighting over the same things. He just lied to me all the time. He'd say one thing, then act a completely different way. Like when he was with me I believed everything he said but when he got around his friends it was a completely different story. It's like I didn't even exist."

Itachi picked up his spoon. "Most boys when they're younger are easily influenced by their friends, I'm sure Boruto meant everything he was saying, but like you said, his actions weren't lining up."

Sarada watched as the fries were set in front of them. "Yeah, it was just really dumb and I got sick of it. We weren't ever like _dating, _but we had a thing… and it just didn't work out. When Metal and I started talking I thought it would be an easy choice, but I can't stop thinking about maybe I made the wrong decision."

With a sigh, Sarada dipped some fries into the ice cream.

"Do you feel the same way about Metal as you do Boruto?" Itachi asked.

Sarada gave him a look. "They don't even come _close_ to each other."

He chuckled. "Well, what are you questioning? What is making you rethink your decision?"

"Metal just…" Sarada swirled her soon around the ice cream. "He's just… not _Boruto_."

Itachi observed his niece closely. It made perfect sense to have hesitance. It was so obvious she still had strong feelings for Boruto, but he wasn't living up to the expectation he constantly painted for her, so didn't want to continue dealing with all the disappointment and drama so she was trying to move forward.

Then meanwhile, Metal, seemingly, had fit her idealisms, but now was falling short as well. No wonder Sarada felt so lost. The one boy she really wanted to be with had some growing up to do, and the one boy she _was_ with wasn't even on the same planet as her. Itachi had been through this before. And being at his age of close to forty and being single most of his life, Sarada was better off being by herself until someone _proved _to her that they wanted to be with her.

Besides the fact that she was still only fifteen, relationships this young carried little to no weight. They were practically a waste of time at this age, but not always. The unfortunate thing was she was slowly losing sight of her individual goals so just needed to get back on track for her own peace of mind.

Itachi, knowing his niece very well, would stick with a decision until the very end, so hopefully she just wouldn't lose herself in the process. From the outside looking in, Itachi knew Sarada was just learning how to navigate growing into her own beauty, and the attention and accolades it brought her, and it was all part of the normal process. Relationships, friendships, and family relations were all tested heavily in this time period, so she was learning and growing along with everyone else just trying to figure out who she was.

Itachi laced his fingers together, tilting his head the slightest bit.

"You're smart and have good intuition, you'll know the right answer when it comes. Just trust yourself." He said.

Sarada gave Itachi a soft smile then took another fry.

"How much longer before summer break?" Itachi asked.

"Mmm...school gets out the second week of June, so three months."

"That's good. Do you think you'll join the student council again?"

Sarada shrugged, swirling her spoon around. "I don't know, honestly. It's a lot of fun, just a lot of work. Sumiere, Wasabi, and Namida all want to do this summer volleyball team and they want me to join them. I want to, but I've never played volleyball in my life!"

Itachi nodded. "It's easy, you'll catch on quick."

Sarada shrugged. "I hope so!" She noticed he had barely eaten any, and tilted her head in confusion. "Do you not like the ice cream?"

"I do, I just wanted you to have more since you were enjoying it so much." He smiled. Sarada took another spoonful.

"Aw, thanks!''

Itachi watched as she finished the ice cream, and let out a refreshing sigh. She worked so hard and deserved so much, Itachi absolutely adored her. He just wanted what was best for her at all times.

The rest of the night was spent helping her with precalculus homework, and eventually Sarada got the minimum hang of it. She understood it enough to where she could find the answer, it just required a lot of help.

He drove her home after that, and Sarada had a couple missed calls from Metal. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she furrowed her eyebrows and dialed him back.

"_Hey Sarada!"_

"Hey," She said softly as she sat on her bed. "Sorry, I was out with my uncle."

"_No worries! I just wanted to know how it was going!"_

"Good," Sarada smiled, plopping onto her back. She traced her gaze across the ceiling pattern. "We just went out to eat at the diner."

"_I am glad to hear that! Will you be coming over tomorrow?"_

Sarada paused. "M-Maybe! I think we're going to start planning prom, so student council might run late tomorrow!"

"_Oh, no worries, I can wait for you!" _Metal said cheerfully. Sarada's stomach flipped in circles.

"I mean, you don't _have_ to, don't you have martial arts tomorrow?"

"_I suppose I do...do you want to come and watch?!"_

Sarada hesitated. Well, she had been blowing Metal off a lot recently and she felt bad… she wasn't being a very good girlfriend. God, why did she feel so confused all the damn time?!

"S-Sure, I think that'd be fun."

"_Okay! I will let my father know."_

Sarada smiled. He sounded so happy, so maybe she was being too uptight. Metal had kind of gotten the bad end of the stick after her falling out with Boruto – she was more business less play now and didn't have a lot of free time due to throwing herself into her schoolwork. But then again, Metal was way too clingy...

"Okay, well, um, I'm pretty tired so I'm going to sleep."

Metal hummed on the other side._ "Sleep well, beautiful."_

Sarada's heart pounded. Oh God, she had butterflies again, and her cheeks were red. It was a nice compliment, but why didn't it feel _right_?

"Th-Thank you, goodnight."

Metal hung up, and Sarada was left with the lingering question.

What the hell was she doing?

**XxX**


	16. XVI: Control

Maybe there was some truth into what Metal had said after his martial arts class. Admittedly, she had stepped out of line trying to offer advice after Metal hadn't performed as well as he liked, and it had been a short, abrupt conversation before he dropped her off. But one sentence was enough to make Sarada rethink her entire character.

"_You criticize people way too much about things you have no experience in when you should just mind your business." _Metal had said. Contextually, he was correct. But still, it had hurt her feelings. But why? She hadn't thought telling him that if he got more sleep at night he'd have more energy to expend during martial arts was _bad_, she was just telling the truth. That boy hardly slept over five hours. She wasn't trying to criticize him by any means, but then again, he hadn't asked for advice.

Sarada let out a loud huff as she plopped onto her bed. Jesus, she had no idea what to think or feel anymore. Her opinion wasn't wanted by even her own boyfriend, so did that mean other people didn't want it either? Even Boruto had always said she was too opinionated for her own good...

And that seemed to be true, now that she had been hesitant to speak up during student council. She opted to sit back and observe rather than interjecting every comment that was made, and sometimes there would be an awkward pause after someone offered an idea, and all eyes would flick to her. She would just shrug, twirl her pencil, and doodle on the corner of her notebook paper. The student speaking would clear their throat to fill the strange silence, then move on.

It was incredibly strange for everyone since the Uchiha always had an opinion on everything. But, with her not speaking, the other student council members who usually were a little too shy were actually participating now, so it created a different type of environment where more ideas were being brought to the table, so they all had a plethora of things to discuss. By the end of each student council, everyone was smiling and cheerful to come back tomorrow to continue where they left off. It wasn't the usual exhausted, burnt out energy with everyone dragging their feet through the door dreading tomorrow.

And of course, Sarada definitely noticed.

The student council was flourishing without Sarada's opinion. So, yeah, Metal was right. Sarada was way too critical of things she had no idea about. Maybe this entire time she had no idea about _anything,_ and just sounded stupid and like a know it all. No wonder she hardly could make friends.

Even at Metal's house that night, she couldn't brainstorm any ideas for a prom flyer. Her creativity was blocked; literally nothing she sketched out looked good. She groaned in frustration, and Metal paused his video game.

"What's wrong, Sarada?"

"I can't think of anything for the prom flyer." She said, staring up at the ceiling helplessly. Metal stood from the floor and walked over, picking up her notebook. It was full of half sketches and scribbles everywhere.

"What's the theme of prom?"

"That's what we're trying to decide."

"Well, when I imagine prom, I think of Cinderella. Big ball gowns, glitter, magic, clouds, things like that."

Sarada furrowed her brows. "I guess so."

Metal set her notebook back down. "Just do what I just told you. Everyone loves Cinderella!"

Well, she supposed Metal _had_ been right about everything lately... so Sarada did as he said. It wasn't a bad idea, truly, it just didn't quite fit her style. But it was too late to try and think of anything else, so with a rough sketch and some key selling words, she closed her notebook for the night and Metal took her home.

It was now Friday night during student council. Sarada had her prom flyer draft all ready to present, though she had wanted to change it at least a million times, but every time she tried, nothing came to mind. Metal _was_ right – any prom she had seen in the past was very elegant and classy. A Cinderella dream theme was a great idea to go off of, so she had nothing to worry about. She was sticking with it, and going to sell the idea the best she could!

Picking a theme and designing flyers was the last step. So after today, everything would be finalized for the weekend, and they'd have a small break.

Everyone was chattering excitedly as they filed into the classroom, and finally Headmaster Tsunade cleared her throat, and everyone took their seats. They got right into presenting, and went around clockwise. Sumiere presented hers, and once she was done, Boruto was up next. He stood, but had no paper in his hand.

Tsunade raises a brow. "Uzumaki, where is your flyer?"

Boruto blinked. "Right here." He bent over with a pen, scribbled something on the paper, then held it up. In regular black ink, it said **Prom April 15th 9 pm-12 am Brown Building Welcome To The Jungle.**

Everyone stared at him, but they nodded nonetheless. Sarada scoffed. How was that acceptable in any way? He literally put no thought into it! It had no colors, no pizazz, no character, and was boring and the absolute bare minimum. How was he even allowed to get away with something like that? It's like he didn't even care at all.

"Interesting but simple." Tsunade said, twirling her pen. "Jungle themed. Why?"

Boruto shrugged. "It's a cool concept. Vines hanging from the doors, leaves are easy props to make. And you all make everything too complicated. Just tell people where, when, the theme, what time, and people will show up. It's _prom_. Flyers are the least important. People look at them for two seconds then throw them away. It's wasteful."

Everyone nodded again, and Sarada was annoyed. He couldn't be more wrong — _prom_ was supposed to be the most extravagant out of all the dances, everyone could agree with her on that! Who wouldn't want to attend an exquisite, eloquent ball themed prom, decorated to the nines with tables upon tables of fancy pastries and macaroons with stunning fluffy clouds lining the walls? She wanted everyone to feel like they were walking through a dream!

A couple other student representatives went next, then it was Sarada's turn. She cleared her throat and stood up, holding her paper out for everyone to see.

"Majestic," Tsunade said blandly, "Why?"

"Prom is elegant, I want it to feel like you're walking through a dream. It is the largest attended dance of the year, everyone looks forward to it, so we want to build anticipation." She smiled. Boruto scoffed, and she glared at him in response. Tsunade brushed it off and moved on to the next representative.

After their meeting was over and the sun was setting, Sarada marched to the classroom where she found Boruto gathering his things. His actions had completely rubbed her the wrong way, and she hadn't been able to let it go since it happened. The scene kept replaying through her mind as she was presenting, and Boruto was rolling his eyes. It was making her infuriated just thinking about it.

She stood in the doorway with her arms folded while he lackadaisically rolled his sleeves up, picked up his bag, and popped a piece of gum in his mouth. Noticing she was staring, he frowned.

"What?"

"What was your attitude during student council?" She asked.

"_My_ attitude?"

"Yeah, you came totally unprepared then had the guts to make fun of my idea!"

Boruto almost laughed. "Listen, _princess_, not everyone is going to agree with your opinions so stop acting all entitled."

Sarada furrowed her brows. She wasn't the one acting all entitled, he was! He pissed her off _so_ much!

"_And_," Boruto continued as he stood up, "that poster wasn't your style." His eyes trailed up and down.

"How? I literally designed it." Sarada shot back.

Boruto scrunched his nose. "How you've been acting lately isn't you, either. You've been all quiet in student council then randomly come in here just to start a useless argument with me. Make it make sense."

He threw his bag over his shoulder, and Sarada watched him with a dumbfounded expression. He pushed past her through the doorway and continued down the hall.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Sarada shouted. Boruto rolled his eyes and turned around.

"It _means_ you're changing into whatever the hell that control freak wants you to be!"

Sarada stared at him in dismay. She had no idea what to say. Never had Boruto seemed upset like this before...

Boruto bit the inside of his cheek, but he kept his narrowed expression. The girl that was standing in front of him was barely recognizable. Her physical features were the same, but her energy, her personality, and the way she carried herself were all different. This wasn't Sarada anymore. She wasn't her usual fiery, opinionated, smart-mouthed, nosy self. He was looking at a shell of a shut down, insecure, defensive girl he used to know very well. He didn't know what was fully going on, but whatever was happening behind closed doors couldn't be good.

Having been friends with Metal since childhood, Boruto knew the guy had some mild sensory problems – nothing to be ashamed of – but if he was taking out his quirks and idealisms of what he _thinks_ a relationship should be on Sarada, then he was about to get decked in the face. He wasn't being adaptable and was only trying to mold Sarada into his little damsel in distress. And Sarada, having no previous relationship experiences, was falling right into it. Everyone around her could see the red flags, but she had on rose colored glasses.

He'd been there before. He used to be the one with the rose colored glasses while everyone watched from the sidelines when he hit rock bottom. And now, he didn't want that to happen to Sarada. She was too kind, too sweet, and had too much faith and trust in people for her to let a relationship ruin all these good traits she had. Boruto didn't want to see her become twisted and distrustful like he was.

The person he used to be before his relationship was dead and gone, and he wished every day he could go back to that happy, carefree attitude. That's why he liked being around Sarada so much. Life hadn't fucked her over repeatedly, so she still had that sparkle of faith in her eyes. Her smile was still bright and contagious. Her hope was still full and optimistic. Her energy was so alluring and infectious that people _wanted_ to be around her. She had a glow that many people didn't anymore. It made Boruto feel good inside.

But, with Sarada came a lot of stubbornness. She wouldn't see the bad until she experienced it, unfortunately. And it hurt Boruto to know that, but there was nothing else he could do for her. You can't teach someone pain if they've never experienced it.

All _he_ could do now is watch from the sidelines. Just like everyone else was.

Eventually, Boruto let out a slow breath.

"Just stop letting him control you. You're smarter than that."

He walked away without another word. Sarada almost stopped him, but what was she supposed to say? Argue some more; about what? Why did nothing make sense anymore? She scoffed, trying to brush it off. She wasn't being controlled, Metal wasn't controlling. Boruto was just stupid.

With heavy thoughts, Sarada waited for her uncle to pick her up in his Mercedes. She was quiet when she got in. Itachi looked over at her, his bright bandaged elbow showing through his sleeve. He had gotten blood drawn before coming to pick her up, so was looking pale and fragile.

"Long day?"

"I guess." She muttered. "Boruto said Metal's controlling me."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. Interesting, indeed, that the mini Uzumaki would say that. For someone who didn't want to step up to the plate to win over Sarada himself, he sure had some hefty opinions he wasn't afraid to voice about the relationship. Itachi was invested now.

"What sparked him to say that?"

Sarada sighed and sunk into the seat.

"We had to present flyer ideas for prom today in student council and Boruto said I was acting entitled_. _But he started it since he didn't put any effort into his poster at all and then rolled his eyes when I presented mine!"

Itachi pushed a loose strand of hair behind his ear. Well, he didn't know the full situation, and even though it seemed like Boruto and Sarada fought more than they got along… Boruto wouldn't have spoken up if he wasn't genuinely concerned. It was a trait he took after Naruto — if there was a problem, something would be said.

Boruto may be holding a grudge against Sarada for her picking Metal instead, but still. Itachi had a hunch that the outspoken Uzumaki wasn't necessarily wrong in saying what he did. Sarada _had _seemed more disconnected.

Recently, she had been spending more time at the Lee's, and on the rare occasion Metal came to the Uchiha's, he was very stiff and unfriendly. Sarada hardly wore cute bows or barrettes in her hair anymore, and she was always asking everyone if she looked okay. It wasn't like her.

These were all observations Itachi noticed just within the month and a half they'd been dating. It wasn't anything too concerning, _for now. _It was understandable that she was now in a relationship, and of course wanted to please Metal. But there was a fine line between that and being controlled.

"He's so stupid! He's still jealous that I'm dating Metal and not him." Sarada said with disgust. "If anything, _he's _the one being all high and mighty thinking he doesn't have to put any effort into a poster. Just because Headmaster Tsunade taught his dad when he was younger doesn't make him special!"

"Now Sarada," Itachi said softly. "Of course I understand how you feel. As your uncle, I will always support you in whatever you choose. But, take a step back and breathe. I'm not saying you have to listen to Boruto, because only you and Metal _really_ know what goes on behind the scenes. No one else gets to define your relationship except you two, But he is still your friend, and friends look out for each other, right? Maybe he's just concerned."

Sarada rolled her eyes. "Well, he only considers us "business partners", so he shouldn't be."

If there was anything Sarada Uchiha was: stubborn. That girl would not change her mind even if someone begged her, she had to learn it on her terms.

And it appeared that seemed to be the case, so all Itachi could do was listen.

**XxX**

Monday morning, Sumiere, Wasabi, Namida, and Sarada all stared at the boring, bland, block lettered prom announcement that hung in front of them on the main entrance. Sarada clenched her fist. That son of a bitch, he probably made some of his fantastic cookies and brought them to the faculty lounge as bait to choose his flyer!

"It's really not that bad, Sarada." Sumiere said nervously, "Boruto was right when he said sometimes we make things too complicated! I kind of like it."

"I spent all night on mine, and he did his in five seconds!" Sarada shouted. "I hate him."

"I like it!" Namida exclaimed. "It's easy to read! I have a hard time when the letters are all cursive."

Wasabi nodded in agreement.

Sarada let out a whine. "But wasn't mine cute?!"

They all looked at her, unsure of what to say. Sumiere scratched her temple.

"Well… it _was_ cute, but it kind of looked like Christmas. And it's April. That's probably why it didn't get picked."

"But Metal told me everyone was going to like it. He gave me the idea." Sarada said sadly.

"Well _that's_ why it didn't get picked!" Wasabi said sarcastically, and Sarada instantly glared at her.

"I'm going to class!" She stormed into the school, and the three girls glanced at each other.

"I think you offended her." Namida said sadly. Wasabi scoffed.

"Seriously? I was just kidding!"

"I think you should apologize just in case. She seemed really upset." Sumiere said, looking back to where Sarada had left.

Wasabi put a hand on her hip. "Alright fine. Maybe what I said wasn't nice. But you guys have to admit she's changed since her and Metal started dating."

Namida and Sumiere glanced at each other.

"Hey, you know, whatever is the best decision for Sarada I'll support her." Sumiere scratched her cheek.

Namida nodded, her hands fisted tightly by her chest. "Yeah, we're her friends so we're here for her no matter what!"

Wasabi nodded her head. "You're right! Speaking of, did you hear they didn't let a lot of girls from last year's summer volleyball team onto this years?!"

"What? No way!" Namida exclaimed.

The two girls walked into the school while Sumiere hesitated, and looked back to the poster. She was concerned for Sarada. Her quiet, snappish, irritated attitude lately was so unlike her. She vaguely wondered what was going on, but ultimately it was none of her business.

So, Sumiere walked into the school to go to class.

**XxX**

"_I think you should pick a green dress."_

Sarada raised her eyebrows, her phone pressed to her shoulder. She was in the dress section of the department store that night on the phone with Metal. Getting ideas for what style of dress was a lot of work; there were so many silhouettes, sparkles, lengths, and colors, and she also had to stay in the dress code they were given today during student council.

"_Green? _In what world do they have cute green prom dresses?"

"_Well I like the color green."_

"I want to wear red!"

"_I don't like red. Blue looks better on you."_

"I don't like wearing blue!"

"_What about yellow?"_

"What kind of yellow?"

"_Dark yellow."_

"Gross, no."

Metal sighed on the other side. _"I'm sure there's a cute green dress out there somewhere!"_

"Are you talking about an emerald green or a lime green?"

"_Emerald."_

Sarada cringed at the thought. "Yeahh… I don't know about that."

"_I only have green ties."_

"Okay, well it's a lot easier for you to find a tie to match a dress rather than finding a green dress to match a tie!"

"_Okay fine, don't."_ Metal snapped, and Sarada stopped.

"Okay, sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

Metal was quiet on the other end.

"_I have to go," _He said, and then hung up. Sarada held in a deep breath to compose herself. She felt so confused. Her emotions were like a rollercoaster with everything that had been going on lately. Nothing seemed _right_ anymore.

Sarada went in search of her mother through the clothing racks. Sakura was also looking around for dresses to pick out, and held up a cute, floor length lavender dress.

"What about this one?"

"He wants to wear emerald green." She muttered. Sakura looked confused.

"Green? For prom?"

"He said he only has green ties so wants me to match that."

Sakura slowly blinked. Sarada didn't notice her mother holding her tongue, but she took Sarada to the front desk and asked if they had any emerald green dresses. They only had one, it was sleeveless and high draping neckline, and over five hundred dollars. Sarada supposed if that's what she had to wear for prom; she'd do it.

Sakura stared at the price tag. "Do you like it, honey?"

"I guess it's pretty." Sarada touched the soft mesh fabric. If he had to wear it to match, she would.

Sakura looked between her daughter and the price tag. She hesitated.

"Are you sure you don't want to pick out a dress you like instead?"

"No, he'd get mad." Sarada said. Sakura furrowed her eyebrows and handed it back to the stylist.

"We'll look somewhere else, thank you."

"Mom—" Sarada started to say, but Sakura walked away. "Mom!"

"Let's just go look at what we have at home, okay?" She mustered a smile, and Sarada gave her a weird look.

"We _don't_ have anything at home, that's why you took me shopping."

"Do your friends have any unused dresses that are green?"

The only person Sarada could think of was Chocho, but she was _not _about to text her. She shook her head.

"Why don't we just go back in and buy that one? It's really not a big deal, I'm only wearing it for one night."

Sakura's hasty pace slowed. "Shouldn't you pick a dress that you like? It's easier to match a tie to a dress than the other way around."

"I _know, _I told him that. But he wants to wear green." Sarada said. Why was her mom being so weird? Maybe because she had acted like she didn't want to wear green, so Sakura didn't want to spend money on something she didn't like. "Honestly mom, that dress was really pretty! I liked it a lot."

"I still think we should go home and double check what you have first." Sakura insisted, and Sarada scrunched her eyebrows.

"Okay…"

The ride home was quiet. Sarada was on her phone scrolling through social media. Metal posted a picture of him running, Chocho posted Mitsuki asked her to prom, Wasabi posted about the summer volleyball team, and Iwabee posted his car, and Sumiere posted that Iwabee asked her to prom. Crazy. She would've never seen that one coming. She closed the app and sighed as she leaned into the seat. This was so annoying.

Wait, Metal hadn't even asked her to prom yet, and he was already telling her what color dress to get. What the heck…

The whole ride home she was unable to fathom this concept. She was now laying in her room that night, after searching her closet for any emerald green dresses, still dumbfounded. How was Metal going to tell her what color dress she should wear, but not officially ask her yet? Wasn't that like tradition, and then the girl went out and picked their dress so the guy could match? This was all backwards. Her mind was stuck in a loop asking the same questions over and over.

Her phone buzzed. It was from Boruto, and she almost fell off her bed. Her heart suddenly was pounding a million miles a minute.

_Did you drop off those dress code flyers you printed out yet?_

Oh god, Sarada had anxiety over nothing. Of course he was texting her about the student council, they had nothing else _to _text about. Swallowing the nausea away, Sarada realized she completely forgot! She looked at the clock; almost nine PM.

_No, but I can run them over there really quick._

Moments later, he responded.

_I'm not home right now so you can leave them on the doorstep_

Boruto not home on a Monday night? Whatever, Sarada brushed it off and quickly ran downstairs to her dad's office. She had completely forgotten to print them in the first place, so she hopped on the computer and logged into her email. She swirled around in his chair aimlessly while copies flew from the printer, admiring her dad's office. It was so tiny but organized. Everything had a designated place. It was cozy.

Once they were done, she clicked out of her email and exited the browser, only for her gaze to catch a medical statement header on her dad's email. What the heck? No one had been to the hospital. Sakura worked at one, but she didn't get paid via email…?

Curiosity got the best of her. She clicked on it. It had no other information other than an invoice, and Itachi's name, and the doctor's office number. Oh, that made sense, Itachi had gotten blood drawn the other day. She had seen the little pink bandage around his elbow.

Sarada grabbed the stack of papers and shouted to her mother that she'd be back as she slipped on a light jacket. Cutting through the park behind her house wasn't a good idea especially since it was dark, so she took the long way around the block where the street was lit up.

Arriving at the Uzumaki house, Boruto's car was indeed gone, and she debated knocking on the door, but it was pretty late, so she didn't want to disturb them. She set the papers down with a corner under the rug so they wouldn't fly away, then texted Boruto she left them on the porch. He didn't respond.

Once Sarada had gotten back home, showered, brushed her teeth, put on pajamas, and laid in bed, she got back on her social media. It looked like Boruto had posted a story recently.

It was a video of him from behind, so obviously one of his friends was taking it. Judging by the hushed voice, it was Iwabee, and Boruto ran up to a doorstep laughing loudly and threw a bunch of sewing tacks on the ground, and carefully rang the doorbell. Moments later, a girl answered the door, and Boruto held up a sign that said _don't be tacky, come with me to prom_. The girl screamed and jumped over the tack-filled porch onto Boruto, and the video ended.

Sarada was stuck staring at the screen. She didn't quite know how she felt at that moment, her body was frozen. The next slide showed Boruto and the girl holding up the poster, with the caption_ she said yes!... to prom #W. _

Was… Boruto into this girl? She looked _so _familiar, Sarada couldn't place it. The girl was tagged, so she clicked on her username. Pretty much everyone Sarada was friends with was following her, and scrolling down looking through her feed, she was really pretty. Sarada felt so weird. She didn't know why she was…

Jealous?

No, there was no way she could be jealous. Absolutely no reason. She had a _boyfriend_. She was _not_ jealous. She was going to prom with Metal, the guy she liked. Boruto asking a girl to prom was normal. He was _supposed _to ask someone. That didn't mean he liked them or had any romantic feelings for them. But, then again… did he?

He had gone solo to the Valentine's dance. _And_ the Winter Ball, _and_ the Fall Festival. That's probably why it seemed so strange that he asked someone. Yeah. That had to be it.

Sarada stayed in her apprehensive state and continued to click through her friends' stories. Chocho's story came up a little later, and she had posted a picture of her, Boruto and the girl all together.

_omg my girl is officially coming to prommmm _she had put, and it suddenly clicked. This girl was Chocho's friend. Her name was Leila, she was a new transfer student this year in the other homeroom, in Sumiere's class. Boruto had asked Chocho's friend, because Mitsuki had asked Chocho. They were going to be in the same group. Okay, it all made sense. Of course Boruto would ask her then, Sarada was silly for thinking there was anything else to be implied. Friends went to prom together all the time.

Letting out a huge breath she hadn't known she was holding, Sarada questioned why that had induced so much anxiety. Prom was the biggest dance of the whole year, of _course_ Boruto was going to ask someone.

Running her fingers through her wet hair, she noticed how shaky her hand was. What the hell, she was overreacting. And for what? So what Boruto had asked a girl to prom, Sarada hadn't technically been asked but she was going with her _boyfriend_, so there should be no competition there. A boyfriend was a huge step up instead of having to ask your best friends date's best friend. Sarada snorted.

She didn't care that she wasn't officially asked...not really, at least. Well…

Maybe a lot.

**XxX**

Boruto asking Leila to prom was the huge topic of the day. Of course, people wanted to start rumors about them now dating, or they liked each other, but every single time it was brought up, Boruto would look them straight in the eye and say, "what was I supposed to do, third wheel like a nerd?" and that destroyed any possible rumors to be born. So he definitely did not have feelings for her and made that blatantly obvious.

The dance was on Saturday night, and so far Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night passed without Metal officially asking Sarada. He just kept insisting on a green dress since that's what he wanted to wear, and she went to a different store with her mom every single night to try and find _something, _and now Sarada was beginning to stress that if she didn't wear a green dress, Metal wouldn't like her anymore.

"Sweetie, why don't you just wear the dress you wore to the last dance? No one will remember." Sakura said.

Sarada's jaw dropped. "Mom, that dress is from when I was thirteen, there's _no _way I'm wearing it again! And Metal said I have to wear green, so I need to!"

"Well all of these prom dresses are a little out of budget," Sakura said, eyeing the tag on a navy blue dress. "Are you sure your friends don't have any old dresses you can wear?"

"I'm _sure_, mom." Sarada said exasperated. She had texted Sumiere, Namida, and Wasabi earlier that week asking them if they had any formal green dresses. The closest one was Wasabi, but it was a pastel green, and way too long for Sarada.

Sakura tilted her head. "Don't you like that lavender dress? Why don't we just get that one?"

It had a lacy bodice with petite sleeves and a mesh skirt. It was the only thing they could find that Sarada somewhat liked, and it was two days until the dance so she didn't have many options. It just wasn't _green_.

"Because mom Metal wants me to wear green. If I don't he's going to be mad!"

"Sarada," Sakura's tone dropped more seriously. "Why would he be mad? It shouldn't even be a problem. Metal should be willing to work with whatever color _you _want. Pick the color that you want, and he can easily find a tie to go with it, okay?"

Sarada nodded, absolutely defeated. If the color of a dress was going to bring an inevitable breakup, then so be it. She didn't care about anything anymore.

Sakura looked back at the price tag, and then brought the dress up to the front counter. She spoke to the stylist while Sarada wandered around aimlessly. This sucked. Metal was going to be so upset.

With the lavender dress hanging in the back seat, Sarada stared out the window into the dark night. Metal was busy tonight, but he said he'd call her as soon as he was done. She sighed. The dress really was pretty, she absolutely loved it and was excited to wear it, just not excited to see Metal's reaction to it.

Once ready for bed tucked under the covers, Sarada was reading when her phone rang. She quickly picked it up.

"Hello?"

"_Hi!"_ Metal said on the other end. There was a lot of background noise so he must be in public. _"How was your night?"_

"Not bad, my mom and I went dress shopping again."

"_Did you find something?"_

"Y-Yeah!" Sarada said.

"_Oh good. I can't wait to see it on Saturday."_

Sarada gulped. "Mhm, yeah! It's gonna look great!"

The chatter in the background got louder. Metal raised his voice the slightest. _"I'm picking up your boutineer tomorrow so hopefully you like it!"_

Sarada didn't know what to say. She slowly sunk further into her bed. "O-Okay…um, are you uh, going to officially ask me to prom at all? Or…?"

"_Why? You're my girlfriend, you know we're already going together, so I don't have to."_

Sarada was speechless. The frozen feeling in her chest was as chilling as an unthawed iceberg. The complete disregard and insensitivity was really starting to take a toll on her… that didn't matter to her that she already knew they'd be going together. It was the effort that she wanted. Ever since they started dating, it's like Metal expected her to already have all the right answers and reactions, and when she didn't, he got mad. This was one of those times again, she realized, that she could not tell Metal how she truly felt about it, or he would get upset at her. Just like he always did.

There was a long drawn out silence before she was able to muster words together.

"U-Um, y-yeah, I _guess…_"

"_I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow!"_

Metal hung up, and Sarada sat there stumped. Well… at least he was getting her boutineer, but still no official invite, hardly a chance of a matching tie… maybe if she went and bought him a tie herself he'd wear it.

Attempting to push away her confusing feelings, she closed her eyes and hoped to fall asleep.


	17. XVII: Sophomore Prom

**warning(s): use of alcohol, smoking, swearing**

* * *

Prom. The one dance where student council members weren't required to have duties.

Which, was both a blessing _and_ a curse.

A blessing, because Sarada could spend as much time with Metal at the dance and not worry about being in charge. She just got to enjoy herself and their time together.

A curse, because the moment her, Sumiere, Wasabi, and Namida walked into the day date activity, she realized she was in the same group as Boruto. And would be spending _all _dayin the same vicinity.

The stupidity. The more she thought about it, Sumiere was going with Iwabee. Namida was going with Denki. Wasabi was going with Inojin. Himawari wasn't old enough to attend, or else she definitely would have gone with him.

Mitsuki asked Chocho, Boruto asked Leila, and Shikadai asked Chocho's other friend, Allison.

Literally _how_ did she not see this coming?

"Wassup bro," Boruto pulled Iwabee in for a hug. Iwabee grinned.

"You guys ready to get your asses kicked in laser tag?!"

Shikadai yawned with a cup of steaming hot coffee in his hand, Denki laughed nervously, Inojin was pumped, Mitsuki simply observed, and Metal grinned.

Sarada wanted to disappear in the shadows. Oh god. Forget about her and Boruto – talk about her, Boruto, and _Metal and Chocho_ thrown into the equation. This was a disaster waiting to happen.

They were at their town's fun center, so the options were endless. Mini golf, laser tag, bowling, arcade games, obstacle courses, foam pits, rock climbing, wave riding, and there was a trampoline park right across the street. It was about noon, and the dance was at seven. So there was plenty to do.

Sarada tried to stay close to Sumiere, but Iwabee kept whisking her off in some direction, while Wasabi and Namida went straight to the arcade. Sarada stood there awkwardly. She didn't want to hang out with Chocho, Leila, and Allison, but now she didn't know where everyone else disappeared to.

"You okay?" Inojin approached her from behind. Sarada jumped in surprise.

"Oh! Yeah, I'm good. I just, uh… um–don't really know who to hang out with."

Inojin pursed his lips. "Well," He glanced around, only to see Chocho and her friends laughing loudly, and no one else in sight. "I'm sorry."

Sarada shrugged. "It's okay. I just don't know where Namida and Wasabi went..."

Inojin let out an awkward cough. "I guess in the meantime... me and the boys are going laser tagging first if you want to come."

Sarada gave him a doubtful look. She was completely out of her element here, but what else was she supposed to do?

"Sure." She said reluctantly, and followed him to the laser tag area.

The group loitered around waiting for the current game to end before being brought into the first room to be strapped up. The first pack she put on was red, and Metal's was blue. They were on opposing teams.

"Red team will kick your ass!" Boruto exclaimed, pointing his fake plastic gun to the other team, and Sarada suddenly felt nervous. How did her and Boruto end up on the same team? This _had _to be the universe slapping irony in her face just to play tricks.

Metal hadn't necessarily been overly friendly towards her all morning – he was complacent – but seemed annoyed with something. He, too, also noticed her and Boruto were on the same team, and turned to the entrance without a word.

Gripping onto the plastic gun, Sarada felt a rush of adrenaline. Laser tag for some reason was always so much fun. The arena, the fog, and the black lights made it all so mysterious and amped her up. She wasn't the best, but she'd at least try.

Iwabee and Boruto were doing some weird chant to get them psyched up before the door opened, meanwhile Denki, Inojin, and Metal stood on the other side blandly, waiting patiently to start.

Finally, the door opened and they all filed in. They had ten seconds before their vests were activated, so Sarada darted to the right, observing where the opposite team ran to. The loud voice on the speaker counted down, and Sarada hid behind a wall. They had about ten minutes of playing time.

"_Three, two, one, go!"_

Once the timer started, the red vest lit up and gave Sarada instructions. She stayed put to watch everyone else's moves first, but someone from the other team snuck up behind her and shot. The light on her vest died, and she huffed. Guess she'd have to move around to do some good.

Searching for the blue team, she looked through a crack in the wall up at the tall tower. She saw blue lights lingering, and Iwabee went barreling in and shot all of them before running back down the slope. He whooped loudly, then screamed when someone shot his vest.

She went in search of Metal, even though it was dark and quite hard to see. She was turning a blind corner when someone crashed into her. He gasped and held her arms to balance himself as the laser gun fell to the side.

"Ow!" She exclaimed.

"Sorry!" Boruto said, the look on his face somewhat shocked, as he was so into the game he'd forgotten Sarada was in there with them. He looked down at the score on her vest. She hardly had any points, and he laughed. "Damn, you suck."

Sarada was about to retort, but Boruto's vest suddenly died, and they both swung around to see Metal had shot him. Sarada tried to aim quickly, but he took her vest out as well. He didn't even seem hesitant, either, and Sarada watched as he quickly dashed off without a word. Her expression fell, and Boruto didn't know what to say. It was awkward as they parted without a word.

The game ended minutes later, and they all filed out of the large arena. They came out to see Iwabee had the overall highest score, but the blue team had won. Boruto snapped his fingers.

"We were so close!"

"Yeah, look, Metal kicked ass!" Iwabee said.

His name was in the second place spot. Sarada was obviously at the very bottom since she had only shot one person but then proceeded to be shot at the rest of the time. She could hardly focus, though, with Metal acting all weird like this for no reason. She needed to talk to him.

Approaching him from behind, Sarada softly touched Metal's arm. He turned around and smiled, and Sarada let out a breath. He didn't seem mad for her and Boruto's interaction earlier...

"Good game, huh?"

"Yeah, good job." She said, turning back to the board. The scores reset as the new team was shuffled in. "Hey, um, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Hm? Oh, sure."

Sarada led him away to a more secluded hallway in the building. Metal looked at her curiously as she fiddled with her fingers.

"What's up?"

"I feel like something is wrong." She said. "Like, are you okay?"

"Me? Yeah, why?"

"I don't know, you just seem…_ off."_

"I feel normal," Metal shrugged.

"Like, you seem mad at me or something."

Metal blinked. "Oh, I see. No, I am not mad at you."

Sarada furrowed her eyebrows. "Really? Are you sure?"

Metal nodded with a smile. "Mhm. I promise I'm not! I am actually having a great time. I am glad we came with a big group!"

Sarada's anxieties were softened. Okay, he said he promised he wasn't upset, so he meant it. Just their interactions all day had seemed so off, but maybe Sarada had been overthinking it. Truly, he had nothing to be mad about, so yeah. They were good.

"Sorry if I made it seem like I am mad." Metal squeezed her hand.

"It's okay." Sarada said. Even though he gave reassurance, it still didn't seem quite convincing...

But, Metal smiled back, and suddenly leaned in to kiss her. It took her by surprise, and it started as quickly as it ended, so she didn't have time to bask in it.

"Do you want to go bowl?" He asked.

Sarada blinked. "S-Sure!"

* * *

Many hours, pizzas, arcade games, and tickets later, Sarada and Metal walked out of the building with matching small stuffed animals. Things were definitely good now, and now she had to go home to get ready for the dance. Metal was going to pick her up a quarter to seven. The building they were having prom in was in the next city over at an event center, so it would take a bit longer. She was told they'd be riding with Iwabee and Sumiere over to Chocho's house to take a large group picture.

Perching the stuffed animal against her pillow, Sarada dove into her mother's makeup drawer to pull out the basics. She knew nothing of makeup; just some concealer, mascara, blush, and lipgloss would do the trick, but curling her hair was what took the longest.

The extensions were beginning to come undone. Sarada made a face as she tied half her hair up to look at them. She needed to redo them. All that running earlier tugged them out of place.

Once her hair was fixed and curled, and her mother helped zip her dress up, she was all ready. Itachi had come over to see her dress and was very impressed.

"That dress looks great on you." He said, sitting from the lounge chair in the corner. Sarada did a twirl, the lavender beads reflecting light with every small movement.

"Really? Thanks!"

"Okay, let me take a couple pictures." Sakura said, pulling out her camera. Sarada posed with a smile, and Sakura nodded. "Perfect, then when your friends get here we'll take more pictures!"

Sarada was so excited. Her very first prom, and the first dance she wasn't in charge! This was going to be such a great night!

Except then she remembered Metal wanted to wear green. And her dress was lavender. She suddenly wasn't sure how well that would go over, or how mad he'd be. She'd almost completely forgotten about that debacle from earlier this week. Would something so small and insignificant as the color of her dress ruin the entire night? There's no way.

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she almost resented the dress. It was so beautiful, but why was she having so much apprehension about it being the wrong color? Why had it been such a big deal anyway? It was all completely stupid, and now Sarada had anxiety.

Sumiere called Sarada moments later to let her know they were out front. Sakura followed her daughter outside with the camera as her friends stepped out of the car. Sumiere exclaimed and dashed towards her friend.

"Oh my God you look so pretty!"

"You do too!" Sarada squealed.

Iwabee had cleaned up nice — he finally wasn't wearing a hat for once, and Metal's suit was crisp and neat as he readjusted the lapels. Sumiere and Iwabee had chosen black, while Sarada's dress was lavender, and Metal's tie was green.

"You look good." Sarada said nervously as Metal walked up to her. He gave her a stiff smile.

"Here." He held out the boutineer, and Sarada held her wrist out. He slid it on without much thought, and Sarada could only think how disappointed he was. She was hoping he would've seen the effort she'd put in to get ready and compliment her, but she got nothing. Not even a longing gaze.

"Okay guys, get together for a picture." Sakura said. The four friends squished together with a smile, and Sakura took the photo. She held a thumbs up.

"Now be safe! Sarada, be home by midnight, or call me if your plans change!"

"Okay!" She said, and they all got back in the car. Her dress was so bushy it almost got caught in the car door, but Sumiere laughed as she helped Sarada tug it into the vehicle.

Iwabee turned on his blinker and once he pulled out of the neighborhood, he picked up a case of glass bottles beneath Sumiere's feet. He handed one to Metal, one to Sarada, one to Sumiere, and took one for himself.

"Cheers to a good night!" He exclaimed, then popped open the cap. Metal did the same, and Sumiere and Sarada paused.

"Wait, what is this?" Sarada asked.

"Mike's." Iwabee said.

"What is that?"

"Beer."

Sarada just about had a heart attack. "Wh-What?! _Iwabee!_"

"It's fiiine, I've been doing this since I was fourteen! Besides, this little beer isn't gonna do anything to me."

"Iwabee..." Sumiere hesitated. She hadn't been aware of what the bottles beneath her feet were, that's why she had paid no attention to them.

"We'll only get in trouble_ if_ we get pulled over." Iwabee laughed. He clicked his and Sumiere's glasses together. "Now _cheers_!" He gave her a look.

Slowly, Sumiere looked at the bottle. Hesitantly, she took a sip, then made a face. Iwabee laughed.

Sarada was dumbfounded. She looked to Metal to back her up, but he was halfway through his drink already. She was so shocked.

"Are you _kidding_ me?!"

"What?" He mumbled. Sarada was completely dismayed. Now _this_, on top of the anxiety she'd had about her dress? Who even was she _dating_ anymore? She didn't even know Metal drank!

Sarada was shaking. "Stop drinking that! We could get in so much trouble!"

Iwabee rolled his eyes and let out a dramatic sigh.

"_Jesus_, woman, take a fucking chill pill! God," He looked at her in the rearview mirror. "I'll finish it right now."

Sarada gasped as he chugged the rest then set the bottle in the lower section of the door. He looked back in the rearview mirror.

"Look, it's gone! So relax!"

He instantly turned up the music so Sarada couldn't speak, and she looked to Metal completely in shock. He was looking out the window, occasionally sipping on the drink. Sarada looked to the front, and Sumiere was doing it as well. Wait, was this really not as big of a deal as she was playing it out to be? Was she really overreacting? Wasn't drinking underage _bad_?

After what felt like a _very_ long car ride, they arrived at Chocho's house. They were the last ones there, and seeing Boruto smiling at his gorgeous date with her perfect waterfall curls just made Sarada feel even worse. Once they were all bunched together taking the group picture, Sarada tried her best to fake a smile the entire time, but really she wanted to go home and curl up in a ball.

The drive to the building that was hosting prom felt even longer. She didn't wait for Iwabee's car to be completely parked before she jumped out. She was so upset. She didn't even want to go to the dance anymore, but she felt too embarrassed to call her mom. Hiding in the bathroom claiming she didn't feel good was the only option.

If she called her mom, Sakura would never let her hang out with her friends again, and she had just _finally_ started to fit in somewhere. She didn't want to be labeled as the tattle, but she knew it was wrong. They were all underage, Iwabee had actually been _driving_, and she was pretty sure open-containers were illegal.

Rubbing her arms to comfort herself, Sarada held back tears. She was so conflicted and so embarrassed for reacting the way she did. She was making such a big deal out of it when it really shouldn't be. Everyone was doing it, even _Sumiere_, but why did it seem so wrong? What was even right anymore? She didn't want to lose all her friends by not fitting in.

Metal came up behind her after discarding the bottles in the nearby dumpster. "Are you coming?"

Sarada bit her lip. It was obviously she was already ruining the night… being a baby and crying over her friends drinking wasn't cool. She had to suck it up. It was known that the whole friend group drank; she didn't know why she expected any differently. They always showed up to dances drunk – obviously she'd dealt with Boruto on more than one occasion. She supposed she'd never really seen the process of them getting drunk, though, and that's what had thrown her through a total loop resulting in an outburst. Never in her life had she been around recreational alcohol.

Not wanting to smudge her makeup, Sarada dabbed her fingers at the side of her eyes and shook away her emotions. She had to get over it if she still wanted her friends to like her. She had come this far and wasn't going to ruin it over something this small. If not, well…

"Come on," Metal urged, as Iwabee and Sumiere had already walked across the parking lot, and Sarada followed along begrudgingly.

Entering through the doors, the music became louder. Some popular songs from the radio were being mashed together, but there weren't a ton of people there yet. Iwabee clapped his hands together, and walked up to the table, giving the girl his money then guiding Sumiere into the dance hall. Metal did the same, but less enthusiastically.

It was about ten minutes later everyone else showed up, very obviously drunk. Chocho was louder than ever, Mitsuki even had a dopey smile on his face, and the other girls were giggling and screaming how pretty the other was. Sarada was sitting at a table when she saw all of them walk in, and Iwabee and Metal greeted them cheerfully. They chatted for a while over the music while the girls made their way over to Sarada.

"Is this our table?" Chocho asked. Sarada shrugged, specifically eyeing Boruto's date, Leila.

"I guess so."

"Perfect," Chocho plopped down into one of the chairs with a sigh. "God! These shoes hurt my feet!"

Her other friends agreed, and they all laughed. Sarada had an anxious feeling in her stomach. They looked like they were having such a good time and didn't care, meanwhile she was overthinking everything. Maybe she really should try it so she wasn't such a loser…

"Oh my God, you guys, doesn't Mitsuki look _so_ hot?!" Chocho exclaimed as Wasabi, Namida, and Sumiere came to join them at the table. "He's literally so perfect!"

"He is for you," Leila said, her long, elegant nails clicking on the table. Sarada pursed her lips. She was so pretty with her long, dirty blonde hair pinned back. Blondes were definitely Boruto's type, for sure. No wonder he asked her.

Chocho glanced at Sarada. "Boruto looks pretty good in pink though, don't you think, Sarada?"

"H-Huh?" Sarada snapped from her stupor. All the girls were looking at her, and she stuttered. "U-Um, I guess?"

Chocho stared at her then flipped her long hair behind her shoulder. "Metal doesn't look too bad either, but why doesn't his tie match your dress?"

This is what Sarada had been worried about. She had no explanation, and now Chocho was going to bully her about it. This truly was miserable. Sumiere, Wasabi, Namida, Allison, and Leila looked at her expectantly.

"Yeah, that is kind of weird. And your boutineer doesn't even match." Allison said, tilting her head.

Sarada curled further into her seat. This was her worst nightmare. All she could offer in response was a halfhearted shrug, and Chocho gave her a look. Surprisingly, she dropped the topic, and continued blabbing about Mitsuki.

Meanwhile, the boys snuck off to the bathroom to take shots. There, they crowded in the handicap stall and passed the flask around. When it got to Boruto, he took a gulp, then cringed as the bitter tequila went down his throat. He almost gagged.

"That shit is nasty!"

Iwabee cackled then took the flask from him, took a shot, then handed it to Shikadai. He took a shot, and cringed just like everyone else, then passed it to Metal.

"Why tequila?" Shikadai asked.

"Because that's all my brother would buy for me." He complained. The flask was passed to Mitsuki. "I did all his chores for him and that's the most he would do for me!"

The flask was passed to Inojin, and Boruto shook his head. "I'm sooo glad I don't have older siblings!"

The flask was passed to Denki. Iwabee scoffed. "I mean, he bought me a couple bottles so I'm not complaining! I have them in my trunk."

The flask was passed back to Boruto. He took another shot, and _god_, it burned. They were getting a different type of fucked up tonight.

Iwabee took a shot, and it went around the circle one more time before Boruto made a cutthroat motion.

"I'm tapped out, guys. Three shots in a row would kill me."

"Bro, but we're at _prom!_ You're supposed to get fucked up!" Iwabee said.

"Hell nah, you guys have fun." Boruto waved at them, and Shikadai followed in suit. Once exiting the bathroom, they both blinked as the alcohol settled into their systems. Tequila definitely hit differently, and _quickly, _so there'd be some debauchery tonight.

Boruto and Shikadai stood in the doorway, slightly dazed at all the movement around them. They were both already feeling it, and they spotted all their dates sitting down at the table talking like complete chatterboxes. Shikadai squinted.

"How are Chocho and Sarada within five feet of each other and they haven't killed each other yet?"

"Bro, I couldn't even tell you." Boruto said.

"Isn't it awkward having her around all the time? Like, 'cause her and Mitsuki are a thing now, and you guys talked for a while?"

Boruto shrugged. "Honestly, we don't talk about it. She likes Mitsuki and he likes her, so it doesn't matter."

Shikadai's head lolled to the side. "Isn't it kinda funny how you ruined hers and Sarada's friendship, and now both of them are dating your best friends?"

Boruto gave Shikadai a look. "How about we stop playing twenty fucking questions?"

Shikadai snickered as Boruto cuffed his head lightly. The Nara definitely was feeling it. He may be a coffee addict, but alcohol was something he didn't indulge in frequently. So when he did drink, it hit him _hard_.

Catching up to Boruto, Shikadai grabbed his sleeve to gain his attention.

"Bro, on the real though, I'm sorry. I was just messing with you. I know you still like Sarada."

Boruto avoided his gaze. "Well, that doesn't matter. I'm here with Leila."

Shikadai pursed his lips. "C'mon."

Boruto let out an annoyed sigh. "As far as Sarada's concerned, she's way moved on from me and happy with Metal."

Shikadai pointed at him. "Yeah, but _you're_ not happy."

"You know, I kind of hate when you're drunk." Boruto twirled his friend forward and pushed him towards the table of girls. "Just shut the fuck up and go lose your virginity or something!"

Shikadai cackled as they got closer to the table. Allison noticed her date definitely was more ragdoll than before, and she stood up as Shikadai fell into her grasp.

"Oh my God you smell like tequila!" She exclaimed. Chocho stood up.

"What? Were you guys taking shots in the bathroom without me?!"

"Go find your mans, then." Boruto laughed, and Chocho stormed off with an attitude in search of him.

Eventually, everyone appeared back at the table, and Iwabee threw his arms around Leila and Allison.

"You guys are so laaaame sitting over here by yourselves!" Iwabee exclaimed. "Come dance!"

"Let me put on more lipgloss real quick!" Chocho exclaimed, and dug through her purse. Iwabee mocked her.

"Well hurry up!"

Everyone began making their way to the dance floor, but Sarada still couldn't move. Her body was so drained and depressed there was nothing in her to propel herself to her feet. Metal frowned.

"Do you want to come dance?"

Sarada shook her head, and Metal glanced at her before joining everyone else. Boruto had helped Leila stand from the chair, and glanced from Metal to Sarada. He told Leila to give him a moment, then patted Mitsuki on the shoulder. His friend nodded in understanding and followed after her.

Boruto plopped right next to Sarada and threw one leg over the other. Sarada hardly glanced at him.

"Aren't you gonna go dance with your date?" Sarada muttered.

He shrugged. "Later. First, I wanna know what's up with you." He shifted so both feet were planted on the ground directly facing her. She felt uncomfortable with his undivided attention.

"Nothing. I just don't feel good."

Boruto's brows furrowed. "Why?"

Bringing up the memory, Sarada's emotions began to surface again. She was getting teary eyed over nothing. Viciously wiping her eyes, she willed the tears away.

"Nothing."

Boruto's posture went lax. Obviously it wasn't nothing, it was plain as day that Sarada was upset. He could only assume Metal was the cause of it, because Miss Uchiha had not shut up about prom since the first day of student council, there was _no_ way she wouldn't ensure her health was up to one-hundred percent the week leading up to this night. Boruto noticed the couple had seemed kind of awkward during the day date, but something else must've happened to really push the wedge in deeper. He hated to see Sarada sad, and even though it wasn't his place anymore, just standing by complacently wasn't his style.

With vigor, he stood up and rounded Sarada's chair and held out both hands.

"C'mon raccoon eyes, you look like a hot mess. You're really gonna let yourself look like this at prom? Isn't this supposed to be the best dance of the year?"

Sarada sniffled and looked up at Boruto. His eyes were gleaming genuinely, that soft expression on his face he only showed _her_, and his hands outreached looked so warm and inviting.

Well, she supposed, why not…

And slowly, she took one hand, and he pulled her up with a smile.

Guiding her to the bathroom, Boruto waited outside for her to gather her composure. She returned, then swished off her dress and fixed the layering before he extended an arm. Pink and lavender meshed well together as they followed the muted sound of the music and the bass thumping through the walls.

Walking through the doorway was like entering a different dimension. Colorful lights were flashing and shooting in different directions, the bass was loud and prominent now, kids were screaming, singing, laughing, and all around having a good time. Sarada still felt out of place, but she felt her spirits lift as she watched wondrously. Boruto lightly nudged her.

"Well? You wanna jump in?" He asked.

For a long moment, Sarada watched the crowd. Parties weren't really her thing; she was a buzzkill, a rule follower, too book smart for her own good and less of street smart, kind of lame when it came down to it, and had a hard time letting loose. Her life had always been so straightforward since the beginning; do good in school, be a good person, follow a routine, be kind to others around her, and do what made her happy.

Now, standing here in front of a crowd she hardly related to, next to someone who _was_ part of that crowd, but actually cared enough to get to know who she was deep down, really was eye opening. She _was_ taking life too seriously, and not allowing herself to be her age. Everything was always so black and white for her, but now she realized that sometimes it was allowed to be gray. Just because her friends were drinking didn't mean she had to. Just because they were making bad decisions didn't mean she had to follow suit. She could still have friends that made different decisions than her, and it was okay.

If they were truly her friends, they wouldn't pressure her.

If they truly cared, they wouldn't leave.

And she knew, without a doubt, that the person standing next to her was both of those things.

Looking at Boruto, he was patiently standing by her side waiting. With a small nod, Boruto grinned, grabbed her wrist tightly, and pulled her into the crazy crowd of dancing kids.

At first, Sarada was unsure of what to do, she bounced up and down to match the beat, while everyone was jumping and singing, girls were on the floor twerking alone or on each other. But, watching how everyone was just living in the moment matching the vibe of everyone else, she realized no one cared. No one was watching her, no one was judging her dancing skills, no one was expecting her to do something outstanding, she was just simply a part of a large crowd all connected to the same wavelength.

Boruto was having a good time, his pink tie bouncing around as people were shoved left and right, but he was laughing. He saw Sarada still looking uncomfortable, so he grabbed her waist and yanked her close. She gasped, her face heating up bright red, and he laughed. She must not be used to being touched like this, which was crazy to think. If Boruto was in Metal's place, he wouldn't be able to keep his hands off of her.

Boruto held onto Sarada's hands tightly, and they jumped around to the upbeat song, everyone dancing around them, occasionally bumping into them, but they laughed together. Boruto felt Sarada's body begin to relax, and her movement became more fluid. Right before his eyes, she was blossoming; like a sunflower after having been stuck in a storm for weeks. Her smile was bigger, her eyes were brighter. She hadn't seemed this carefree in a very long time.

Soon, the series of songs slowed down, and a lot of kids fled off the dance floor to grab some water, or to take a break. Some couples stayed on the dance floor for the slow song, and once the big crowd broke, Metal spotted Sarada and Boruto a couple meters away. Sarada beamed at the sight of him, and broke from Boruto's grasp to bound over to him.

Boruto's arms slowly fell to his side. He watched as Sarada grabbed Metal's hands, and they started slow dancing. Metal seemed a lot happier with Sarada in his arms, and they chatted away excitedly, leaving Boruto by himself on the dance floor. His heart sank with the realization.

No matter how many times he chose Sarada, she still wasn't going to choose him.

"There you are!" Leila exclaimed, running up to Boruto. She grabbed his wrist. "Let's dance!"

Forcing himself to not look over at the other couple, Boruto nodded, putting one hand on Leila's waist, and the other clasping her small hands. Right. Leila was the one he asked to the dance, and here he was dancing with someone else. Leila smiled.

"This is fun, thanks for asking me!"

He smiled. "Yeah, no problem."

Metal and Sarada were practically inseparable from that moment on, and it seemed all their issues had simply dissipated. They spent every song together, every break, every cup of punch, and slowly it started to take a toll on Boruto's mood. What could he expect, though? Just because he turned Sarada's mood around didn't mean she was going to magically realize that he was _right there _just waiting for her to be ready. Every time Boruto helped Sarada, it was just pushing her and Metal closer.

His heart was hurting. He needed a distraction.

"Hey," He leaned over to Iwabee once back at the table, "you have your vape?"

"Yeah, dude, which one?"

"I don't care."

Iwabee handed him a yellow one, and Boruto excused himself from the table. Leila asked him where he was going, but he didn't respond.

Coming out into the fresh air was nice. It was helping clear his head, and once he was sure he was out of eyesight from any chaperones, took a long hit. It was only nicotine, but the habit was comforting. His throat constricted, and he coughed unexpectedly. Fuck, was that really a regular puff bar? Boruto wiped his nose. Usually when he was drunk he could take a drag with no problem. Damn, that shit was either strong or he'd lost tolerance.

"Boruto."

Boruto panicked and threw the puff bar into his pocket, only to turn around to see Metal. His shoulders relaxed.

"Oh. Wassup dude? You want some?" He took the puff bar back out. Metal shook his head.

"No, I don't smoke."

Ah, yes. Metal's tone said absolutely everything Boruto needed to know. He had an inkling something like this to happen eventually – Metal was an insecure guy who had a small weiner and a complex over Sarada's past choices. So of course he was going to try and pull some type of power play against Boruto, especially since they were both tipsy off tequila at their sophomore prom night. Taking shots in the handicap stall together was just a move to get his guard down. Well, it didn't work.

It was basically inevitable, the universe had practically been_ begging _them to start drama. Boruto's life had been a little bland lately; and this was just the perfect dose of spice he needed in the boiling pot. He was up for a small banter. It was a fun challenge.

He sucked on his teeth, raising a mocking brow.

"You don't drink either." Boruto said as a matter of fact. "I heard about the car ride over. Are you a total smooth brain or were you just trying to impress your out of league girlfriend? Be honest. Because I'm betting it's both A and B."

Metal clenched his fists. "That's none of your business. I am just here to tell you to leave Sarada alone! She doesn't have feelings for you anymore. We're happy, and you need to accept that."

Boruto dropped his head in disbelief. "Wow, really? I could've _sworn _she was alone at the table earlier crying because _you_ hurt her feelings, but maybe I'm wrong. I guess I know nothing."

"You _don't_, so stop getting in the middle!" Metal took a step closer. "Stay away from her."

Boruto laughed. "You're being deadass right now? Dude, stick to your nerdy haircut and comic books, the controlling boyfriend doesn't look good on you."

"And the redeemed bad boy doesn't look good on _you_," Metal retorted, "you only want Sarada because you can't have her! You're trying to act like you've changed but you really never have."

Boruto blinked, suddenly feeling uneasy. "You–You're joking, right? Like, you're totally just playing right now?"

When Metal's expression didn't budge, that gave Boruto his answer. And phew, he wasn't having it. His irritation grew exponentially.

"You serious bro? You really wanna go there?"

"I am very serious. You never change, and Sarada chose me. She does not want you anymore, so you need to leave her alone."

Boruto was dismayed. "Chose _you_? Don't _even_ get me started; the only reason she chose _your_ dumbass is 'cause _I_ couldn't get my shit together, and then you go and don't even _try _to be nice to her." He scoffed. "Like dude, I know your _girlfriend_ better than you fucking do, how does that feel? How does it feel knowing that when she has a problem, she comes to _me, _because you treat her like shit all the time and she doesn't trust you?"

Metal obviously took offence to that by the way his brows furrowed deeply. "Y-You're wrong! From now on I'm done being nice. Just stop interfering and leave her alone!" He turned around to leave, but Boruto rolled his eyes dramatically.

"We're still on student council together, you idiot, we see each other every day after school!"

Metal sent a glare back his way. Boruto was feeling fired up. He was just itching to beat the living crap outta this guy. Metal really was rubbing Boruto the wrong way lately – and not just from the way he'd been treating Sarada. Boruto had thought this whole behind the dumpster confrontation was a joke at first, but upon finding out Metal was being serious, it was absolutely corny and pathetic. He was livid that this was even happening right now.

"So what are you gonna do then, huh?" Boruto continued. "Try and take her out of my life? I _dare_ you to try, it won't work."

"That's what you think, you cocky bastard. You do not know her like I do! You haven't heard the things she's said about you!" Metal exclaimed. Boruto kept an even gaze.

"Yeah, like what?"

Metal's eyes quivered. Having an elaborate plan to expose Boruto ended up being futile because now standing here in front of him… Metal was speechless. He had nothing. Absolutely no bullshit to pull out of thin air and claim truth. Sarada honestly was dead silent when it came to Boruto. She had never said anything other than her frustration with the student council, but never anything directly about him.

The only information Metal knew came from rumors and Chocho's blabbermouth. And putting two and two together, he had come to a couple concrete conclusions. Sarada and Boruto had dated. Briefly, but they were involved. How deeply, he wasn't sure, but he was aware about all their after school dates. He didn't stay so long after school running around the track for nothing.

He hadn't been completely unprepared going into a relationship blindly with someone who had fraternized with an Uzumaki. He had a plan to take Boruto _down_ by beating him with his own game, and had everything lined out perfectly.

But… now that he was here trying to claim what was rightfully his, he was absolutely tongue tied. Things didn't seem so perfect after all. Metal had always allied himself with Boruto due to seeing the aftermath of what became of his enemies, but now that he was on the other side, it was truly terrifying. No wonder people were so intimidated by him — the mere power he held in a simple look could sweep someone straight off their feet. Even his energy was horrifyingly threatening; how Sarada saw anything good in him was insane.

"Yeah, see, you got nothing." Boruto spat. "You _don't _know Sarada. And don't fucking come starting shit with me if you have nothing to back it up with. Fucking pussy."

Boruto pushed past Metal without another word, and Metal trembled with rage. How was he so unable to defend himself, even after rehearsing so many times in his head, yet Boruto kept his intense demeanor the entire time, not once stumbling over himself? He was so stupid to think he had a chance of beating Boruto at his own game. Metal truly had nothing in comparison — if he didn't keep Sarada wrapped around his finger tight she would slip away in an instant.

For once, Metal had something Boruto wanted, and he was going to grasp onto it as tightly as he could.

**XxX**

Later that night, Metal had dropped Sarada off and left her on the doorstep with a kiss. She had had such a lovely night, even though it hadn't started as great as she wished, the ending felt perfect. Once Metal had come back from his fresh air, they had slow danced, and he'd apologized for how he acted. Sarada forgave him, and everything was okay.

Sarada slept peacefully, and meanwhile, Metal headed to the after party.

Of course, at Mitsuki's house.

Boruto was already inside pouring himself a drink while Chocho was taking up all of Mitsuki's attention. Boruto scoffed. The host wasn't even able to host properly with her hanging all over him like that. Pft. What a weird couple, he still didn't understand it. But hey, they were happy. So fuck it.

Leila was loitering around too as she had gotten a ride with Chocho, so she had to stay with her all night. Their group had kind of fizzled out once everyone left the prom. Iwabee had dragged Sumiere to the after party and definitely was trying to sweet talk her, and Boruto was about to walk over and beat his ass if he didn't quit it. Sumiere was _not_ going to sleep with him, and he was an idiot if he thought she'd crack.

Wasabi, Inojin, and Shikadai were all hanging out on the couch with drinks in hand. They weren't engaging much in terms of sociability, but at least were present and would keep Mitsuki's house from going up in flames, so that's all that mattered.

Boruto took a sip of his drink when he looked over and saw Mitsuki and Chocho in an intense lip lock at the other end of the counter. He choked. Oh god. No wonder it got so quiet, the loudmouth finally had something better to put work into than talking.

"So Boruto, how long have you and Mitsuki been friends?" Leila asked, perched on the barstool across the counter.

Oh yeah, Boruto forgot Leila didn't really know them, she had transferred in new this year from a different state, and somehow got roped into being friends with Chocho. Though Boruto supposed it was her free will to be friends with such a raging bitch – but to each their own.

"We've been friends basically since we were kids, I don't really remember how we met. We've just always kinda known each other." Boruto said, thinking back.

His dad's old high school homeroom teacher had been Mr. Orochimaru, and then sometime after he graduated he adopted Mitsuki as a baby. A couple months later, Boruto was born, so they were kind of destined to be friends from the start. Thank the lord, because Mitsuki was the only real friend who knew how to deal with his crazy ass. Shikadai didn't care enough about anything to put as much effort as Mitsuki, but he was equally as good of a friend just in a different way.

"That's so cool, that must be nice growing up with the same people." Leila said.

Boruto tilted his head back and forth. "Ehh, it has its pros and cons. It's such a small town mentality here. People still remember the weirdest tiniest details of something you did from elementary school, so it's hard to change your reputation around here."

Leila nodded in understanding. "Oh yeah, that makes sense then. I've just moved around a lot so I always have to find new friends!"

"That has to suck." Boruto drank the rest of his mixer. Whew, his head was getting extra fuzzy. "But be glad you didn't grow up in this town, I swear everyone stays here their whole life. I can't wait to leave."

"Where do you think you'd go?"

Boruto shrugged. "Maybe more south, I don't think I'd leave the state though. I like it here."

Leila smiled. "I like it too, so far. Back where I'm from it was so humid!"

"Yeah, I definitely could not deal with that." Boruto blinked to help his vision focus, and when he looked back over at Mitsuki, they were still going at it. He scowled. "Get a fucking room!"

Mitsuki flipped him off, then pushed Chocho towards his bedroom. Boruto rolled his eyes.

"Fuckin' weirdos."

Leila laughed. "Chocho really likes him, though. She talks about him a lot."

"Really? They're so mean to each other." Boruto stumbled over his own feet. Fuck, guess that meant he should drink more!

"He's honestly really nice to her but like not in a noticeable way." Leila said. "Like he'll compliment her in weird ways, but it works for her."

"Well good. It's about time she got over me." Boruto poured more vodka into his cup, then threw some orange juice in after. Leila laughed awkwardly.

"How much are you drinking tonight?"

Boruto shrugged. "I'm staying the night, so I guess until I black out."

He burst into laughter, and Leila laughed too.

"Can I try some?"

Boruto pushed his cup towards her, and she took a sip. Immediately, her face contorted in disgust.

"Ew, there's like no orange juice in there!"

"Then make your own fuckin' drink," Boruto sassed back, and gave her a cup. She giggled and poured a minuscule amount of alcohol in the cup, then put some orange juice in after,

"You're funny. I see why Chocho liked you."

"Hm? Well you shouldn't, 'cause I'm an asshole." Boruto flicked his hand.

Boruto couldn't quite decipher the look on her face, his eyes were too hazy, but it looked like she was trying to figure out what to say. Finally, after a forced laugh, she spoke.

"You don't really seem like it though."

Boruto stared at her. The look she was giving him looked very familiar, but it could've been the alcohol messing with his brain. She was a very pretty girl, she had a cute laugh, and seemed nice enough. Their time at the dance together had been exceptional – she was an easy person to be with.

But, he wasn't over Sarada. That was a big thing. And he didn't want to start something with anyone because he was still hurting inside. Especially after today, even to this moment. It really had taken a toll on his emotions.

Leila kept looking at him, though, and the one stupid brain cell left in his head got an idea.

Well, he supposed...

The only way to get over someone was to get under someone else!

"You wanna go talk in the room?" He nodded in the direction of the hallway, and Leila suddenly seemed nervous.

"O-Oh, sure!"

Boruto gave her a cheeky look, handed her his glass, and pointed towards the couch.

"I'll meet you there."

Leila nodded vigorously, and Boruto marched over to Shikadai with a big devious grin on his face and a plot. Sitting right on his lap woke Shikadai up quickly, and he scowled.

"You're so heavy," He groaned. Boruto cackled.

"Dude, should Leila and I smash?"

Shikadai gave him a look. "Right now?"

Boruto nodded eagerly.

Shikadai let out a heavy sigh. "If you want, bro. I have a condom if you need one."

"Yeah, go get it for me!"

Shikadai shook his head, and with a mighty shove sent Boruto off his lap to the ground with a loud thud, and he cackled. Shikadai couldn't help but snort. "You're such an idiot. Fine."

"You're a real one!" Boruto gave him a thumbs up, and laid his head against the coffee table. The sheer irony: the one virgin in their friend group carried the condoms.

"Oh Metal, you came!" Wasabi suddenly exclaimed. Boruto's eyes shot open, and he flung upwards.

Metal smiled. "Yep, here I am!"

"Where's Sarada?" Inojin asked, glancing at Boruto, who was still seated on the floor between the couch and the coffee table.

Metal had informed Inojin about their… disagreement, so Boruto was probably less than pleased to see him here. Inojin couldn't see Boruto's face, and he didn't want to make it obvious by looking, but assumed it was something akin to pure disgust. When Boruto was drunk, he had a really hard time hiding his emotions.

"I dropped her off, she said she did not want to come." Metal took a seat on the couch, and Boruto's expression contorted into an awkward anger.

His stomach was lurching with nausea. If Metal overheard about his and Leila's little planned escapade, Sarada would _definitely_ hear about it and would ruin all chances of them ever rekindling… but why was he worrying about Sarada right now? Why did his reputation suddenly matter so much? He was sixteen, horny, and drunk. So why did anything else matter?

"That's surprising," Wasabi tilted her head. "Why not?"

Metal laughed nervously. "She was tired. We– well… she is just wonderful. That is all I can say."

Boruto clutched onto the coffee table. Wait, was he insinuating he and Sarada...

Inojin raised an eyebrow, and Wasabi gasped.

"What! Metal, for real? Did you guys do it?!"

Metal scratched his head, and didn't say anything.

Boruto felt frozen. Nauseous. Absolutely sick to his stomach. He stood up, wobbling away from the couch and stumbled to the kitchen. Shikadai had been coming back at that moment, condom in hand, but watched in confusion as Boruto went to the kitchen. He needed water _immediately_, or he was going to throw up.

Shakily, he grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it up from the water dispenser attached to the fridge. He looked pathetic from afar as Shikadai rubbed his back soothingly, Inojin shook his head, then turned to glare at Metal.

"Dude, seriously?"

"What?" Metal asked. Inojin gave him a look.

"_You_ know. Stop it. You're taking it too far."

Metal tilted his head. "Taking what too far? I did not do anything."

Inojin frowned, and Wasabi was confused.

Metal pursed his lips, then suddenly smiled brightly. "What a great party! Where is Iwabee and Sumiere, didn't they come too?"

"_Actually _banging," Inojin muttered.

Metal kept his bright smile, but now there was a threatening gaze swirling behind his eyes. "Where is Himawari at?"

Inojin's hair stood on the back of his neck. "Dude, are you fucking serious right now?"

"_Guys, _what the hell is going on?" Wasabi exclaimed.

Both Inojin and Metal jumped at her outburst. And finally Metal let out a long sigh and stood up.

"Nevermind. But Inojin, I came here to pick you up. So are you ready or not?"

Inojin scoffed, then begrudgingly followed after him. Wasabi let out an exasperated sigh and went in search of a shot glass.

**XxX**

A forehead plastered against the cold toilet seat with _Stay _by Post Malone blasting from a phone speaker was definitely a sight Mitsuki was able to behold as he opened his bathroom door. The light from the morning sun streamed in intensely, but Boruto was unbothered as he muttered along the words. Mitsuki almost laughed.

"How hungover are you?"

"_Don't break your back for me…_" Boruto continued to mutter. "_I'll put you out of your misery…"_

"Oh my God, has he lost it?" Chocho popped over Mitsuki's shoulder. He let out a thoughtful hum.

"Yeah, I think so."

"_Tell me that it's all okay!" _Boruto flung his head back. "_I've been waitin' on this all damn day!"_

"Jesus," Chocho rolled her eyes. "What the hell happened last night?"

Boruto sniffed and let his head rest back on the toilet seat. "Metal said he and Sarada smashed."

Both Chocho and Mitsuki were shocked, but then Chocho shook her head.

"No no no, I _know _Sarada, she's not stupid. Seriously, she's not as basic to lose her virginity on prom night. She doesn't even know what sex _is."_

Boruto continued to mumble the words to the song, and Chocho barged past Mitsuki to pause the music.

"They didn't sleep together, Metal is a big fat liar! I can already tell you that. Now get your pathetic ass up and stop laying on the toilet, that's gross!"

"That's easy for you to say, _you _got laid last night."

Chocho was in disbelief. "What happened to Leila? Didn't you take her to the room?"

"Yeah," Boruto grumbled, "but we didn't have sex."

Chocho rolled her eyes. "You're so stupid, she's been all googly eyed over you since you asked her to the dance! Why'd you ruin it?"

Boruto cast her an indignant glare. "_Because_."

"Oh wow, call the doctor, he needs some viagra." Chocho folded her arms, unimpressed. "Get up you big baby and go eat something before you make yourself more sick."

Boruto grunted as he stood from the floor, and shuffled down the hallway into the kitchen. Chocho glanced at Boruto's phone and saw it was close to nine-thirty AM and his battery was about seven percent. She looked at Mitsuki.

"Do you really think they slept together?"

Mitsuki shrugged. "I really couldn't tell you."

Chocho frowned. Downgrading from Boruto to Metal? Good god, she sure hoped her ex-friend wasn't _that_ stupid.


End file.
